


Medically Speaking

by Ms_Tassimo



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alpha Even, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Doctor Isak, F/M, Grumpy Isak, Hospitals, Hurt Even Bech Næsheim, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mpreg, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Omega Isak, Original Character Death(s), mention of miscarriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-03-30 09:55:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 42,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13949121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Tassimo/pseuds/Ms_Tassimo
Summary: Working as a hospital porter was not how Even Bech Næsheim saw his life ending up. But here he was; mopping up sick after a stupid mistake. However, the hot doctor with the nice smell? That just about makes up for it.Too bad Dr Valtersen seems like a bit of an asshole with a hell of a chip on his shoulder.





	1. Metaphorically Speaking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wordsarelifealways](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsarelifealways/gifts).



> Okay, so this is spawned from a Grey's Anatomy binge and procrastination techniques. 
> 
> NOTE: I am NOT a medical professional. ALL my knowledge is from aforementioned Grey's Anatomy binges. So if anything is wrong then I apologise. Don't take my word for truth - if you really have a problem, go to a doctor.

The smell of disinfectant made Even Bech Næsheim’s nose wrinkle in disgust. Too many memories of the place he had just come from were awoken and he could barely focus on the words the woman in front of him was barking. 

“-basically, just don’t get in the way of the doctors and nurses; they have enough to deal with without the porter getting under their feet, okay?”

Even blinked, looking the woman up and down; she was a small, squat woman with greying hair and a mean stare. She was wearing a smart blouse and pencil skirt, squeezed into it like a sausage in its skin. 

“Don’t get in the way. Got it,” Even muttered, raking a hand through his haphazard quiff. 

“Kristian will show you the ropes,” the woman replied snippily, nodding at the other man in the corner. Even turned, taking in the crumpled uniform of his new colleague, the flushed cheeks of a man twice his age and the thick beard streaked with white hair. He had, apparently, been hired to work with Santa’s dilapidated brother.

With that, the woman turned on her heel and disappeared through the double doors, strolling towards the reception desk which seemed to be her stomping ground. It was only when the clip-clap of her high heels against the linoleum had faded out that Kristian spoke, clearing his throat in an undignified manner.

“We have some sick to mop up on Ward 5,” he wheezed, opening a cupboard with a set of keys he had pulled from his pocket. Even closed his eyes, stomach churning. This was his life now; clearing the vomit of the ill. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. 

Kristian thrust a mop and bucket into Even’s hands, the stench of stagnant water filling Even’s nostrils and making him wish the disinfectant would come back. Instead, Kristian motioned for Even to follow him out of the same doors as the woman had gone through. They didn’t speak, Kristian ambling at such a slow pace that Even wondered if he actually got anything done. 

Soon, however, they had reached Ward 5, which Even quickly realised was, in fact, the children’s ward. There was a buzz of conversation inside, the soft murmur of parents reassuring their offspring that hospital wasn’t scary, that they would be fine etc. Even wanted to head back through the damn doors and leave.

“You need to scoop the sick with this shovel,” Kristian explained helpfully, passing it to Even. “And stick it in a hazard bag.” Even let out what he hoped was a discrete sigh and crossed the floor towards the nurse’s station. 

“There’s sick somewhere?” he asked dejectedly. The nurse – a small, red headed woman with a scrutinising stare – raised her eyebrow and looked him up and down and then let out a small snort. 

“That bed at the end. But Dr Valtersen is over there.”

Even turned, eyes following the nurse’s gaze until they rested upon the small child in the bed at the end of the ward, taking in the IV at the side and the mother stroking the back of his hand. It was only then that he saw thick curls and a slender frame, with his back facing Even. It was also only then that Even took a breath of the most alluring scent that he had taken in that day. The smell of warm bread, cut grass and – damn – babies had Even moving towards the bed before he even had a chance to think about what he was doing. 

Dr Valtersen turned, a frown settling on his features. Suddenly, Even paused in the middle of the ward, making eye contact with the other man. His eyes were blue, round and orb-like and his cheekbones high. His messy curls fell over his forehead and, despite his lean-looking frame, Even could see the way his white shirt strained slightly over defined biceps. 

“Can I help?” Dr Valtersen shot at him, his eyebrow arching in the same way that nurse’s had. Even, still rather dumbstruck by the man’s appearance, gestured vaguely towards the small pile of sick that had now come into his peripheral vision.

“I- sick- clear,” Even managed to stutter out.

God, he hoped his cheeks weren’t turning red.

Dr Valtersen scoffed quietly, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yeah, fine, just be quick,” he said flatly before turning back to his patient. Quickly, Even bent down beside the bed, scraping the sick into the shovel. However, from this point, Even was, unfortunately (fortunately depending on how one looked at it) head height with Dr Valtersen’s crotch. 

Dr Valtersen’s crotch, which was emphasised by the tight grey trousers he was wearing. Even was going to hell. Even was going to hell. Even was going to have to go back to his probation officer and tell him that, no, being a hospital porter could not happen because the paediatric doctor was a fucking sex God.

Finally, hoping that his uniform did an effective job of hiding his semi, Even straightened up, hazard back in one hand and shovel in the other. He could see that Dr Valtersen was trying his best to ignore him but the patient was eyeing him curiously.

“What do you do with my sick?” the boy asked casually. “Do you just keep everyone’s sick?”

“I, uh-”

“We incinerate it, Larsen,” Dr Valtersen told him, scribbling something in Larsen’s notes. “So no-one can catch anything gross.” He looked up momentarily, flashing a grin that did something to Even’s insides.

“Why must you ask these questions?” his mother groaned, shaking her head. Larsen smirked, exchanging it with Dr Valtersen’s.

“You’re looking good, kiddo,” Dr Valtersen continued. “Stats are good; if you stay like this, we can schedule the surgery for tomorrow morning.” Larsen’s face lit up, looking at his mum in excitement. 

“Even though he was sick?” his mother asked worriedly, her lower lip slipping between her teeth. Dr Valtersen nodded, smiling gently at the older woman.

“He just got a bit woozy when the needle went in because he hadn’t eaten anything,” he replied. “There’s no infection, no reason why he can’t go for his op.”  
It was only then that Even realised he was staring. Quickly, he reached for the mop and began to wipe the area he had just cleaned, his eyes glued a bit too much on the sodden linoleum. 

“Stick a wet floor sign on it, kid, and we’ll go get rid of that bag.” Kristian’s voice made him jump, for he had not realised that the old man was still standing behind him. Nodding shakily, Even removed himself from the bedside, casting a final glance at Dr Valtersen, who pulled the curtain around Larsen, fixing Even with a glare. 

***   
It wasn’t that Isak didn’t like the new porter, per say. He didn’t know him well enough to cast judgement of course, and for him to do such a thing would be unfair.   
However, Isak respected his patient’s need for privacy, and having a porter blatantly listening to a private conversation between himself and Larsen was unacceptable. Still, he had other things to do that had priority over having it out with the porter. Larsen’s surgery, for example, was the most important thing at the moment.

He had known Larsen since he was three. Now, at eight, he was finally going to be the recipient of a bone marrow transplant that would hopefully treat his leukaemia. With all other options exhausted, this really was Larsen’s last hope at going into remission. 

Isak knew not to get attached to his patients and working in paediatrics made this difficult but Larsen was the special exception; he had been there when the child had first been diagnosed. He had been his first patient since qualifying as a surgeon. So there was always going to be a special bond there. 

Larsen’s mother called him part of the extended family, even going so far as to buy him a Christmas present each year. 

“How’s he doing?” Eva asked him, leaning against the nurse’s station as Isak walked down the ward. He nodded, passing her his notes to let her consult them.

“He’s doing well.” Isak smiles, joy uncontained at the thought of Larsen finally getting to go home and live his life. Yes, it would be a long road to recovery but the boy had managed to go through five years of endless chemotherapy and radiotherapy – he was strong.

Eva nudged him with her elbow, chuckling.

“Checks you getting all sentimental, Isak,” she teased, setting the notes down on the desk. “Also, the new porter was checking out your crotch by the way; think you have an admirer.” Isak’s smile turned to a scowl, the reminder of the nosy porter still too fresh in his mind to push it away.

“He just stood there and listened to confidential information!” Isak exclaimed, outrage flooding his voice. Eva rolled her eyes, fixing Isak with a condescending expression.

“Give him a break,” she said. “He’s new. Probably never worked with hot doctors before.”

“Eva, I’m hardly-”

“Who says I was talking about you?!” Eva laughed. “I’m talking about the new head of cardio.” She tilted her head back, making an overexaggerated noise of appreciation. “That hair.”

“His hair isn’t the only thing you’ve been eyeing up,” Isak replied dryly, straightening up. “Don’t think I haven’t heard you giggling about his bum every time he walks past.” Eva shot him a mischievous grin, shrugging her shoulders.

“What can I say, Isak?” she chirped, practically skipping towards a bed. “We need to appreciate the good things in life!”

Isak snorts with laugher, shaking his head. He would never admit it – lest he ever prove Eva right – but he had noticed the porter giving him in the eye. And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, there was a flare of excitement at the thought of someone finding him attractive. 

Sure, he knew he wasn’t the worst looking man in the world. But since the breakdown of his last relationship, a whopping three years ago, his dating life had been lacklustre. Besides, being a surgeon didn’t leave much room for romance. 

Perhaps it was time to get his ass back in the game.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.


	2. "How's the job going?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm not a doctor, so anything that is wrong is purely poetic license.

Chapter 2: Even didn’t mind his probation officer. At least this one actually knew what it was like to be in prison, unlike the other one he had been introduced to prior to his release. No, Even liked Hans and he counted him as one of the small amount of friends he actually possessed.

“How’s the job going?” Hans asked him, scribbling something down on his pad. He resembled a bear, Even thought; tall and hulking and bearded but with a smile that could belong to a man much softer looking. Even shrugged nonchalantly – how _was_ the job going? So far, he had cleaned up sick and other unmentionable substances, managed to steer an elderly woman into the morgue rather than the x-ray department and been perpetually taunted by the scent of Dr Valtersen.

“Fine?” he tried, raising his gaze to meet Hans’s.

A smile flickered across Hans’s lips as he set his pen down and looked over the desk at Even.

“It’s not the best job going,” he said gently. “But as far as start-ups go, it’s a lot better than some of the others. I’ve got some guys washing windows on skyscrapers.”

Even snorted, shaking his head. It was no consolation as far as he was concerned; there were very few things in which Even was qualified to do but even he thought he could surmount to something more than a glorified cleaner. “Have you been taking your tablets?” Hans asked gently, resting his hands together on top of the desk.

“Yes.” Even cringed at the short, terse tone of his voice but if Hans had heard it, he did not react. Instead, the older man nodded and passed over a new prescription script. “They’re putting you on a lower dose. Your suppressants, anyway. Your hormones seem to be balancing out with the other medication they have you on.”

Wordlessly, Even stowed the prescription in his pocket, knee jiggling. Normally, he was happy to spend time with Hans but now he was beginning to feel antsy and trapped.

“Anything else you want to talk to me about?”

“I think I’m good.” Hastily, Even got to his feet, shrugging his jacket on over his work uniform and heading quickly towards the door. He hated the pitying smile Hans flashed him as he let Even out, his words of “same time next week” ringing in Even’s ears long after he’d stepped out onto the pavement.

Glancing at his phone, he realised that he had approximately twenty-two minutes to make a thirty-minute journey to work, which caused him to break into a jog. So, by the time he had reached the doors of the hospital, his forehead with glistening with a sheen of sweat, and his hair had morphed into a more extreme version of his normal haphazard quiff. He skidded into the locker room, throwing his bag into his locker and checking himself in the mirror. Well, he wasn’t going to win any awards for best-dressed employee but even on a day where he looked remotely presentable, Even was unlikely to get any form of accolade in his ridiculous, oversized uniform.

“C’mon, kid, we got stuff to do,” Kris wheezed, evidently coming to look for him. “You need to clock in and then there’s a kid who needs wheeling into theatre. After that, you’re on restock duty on the third floor.”

When Kris turned his back, Even couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the excitement that his life had descended to. However, he quickly remonstrated, the alternative could be so much worse. With that thought, he made his way towards the Children’s Ward, squirting anti-bacterial gel on his hands as he swiped his card. Before he had even take a step into the ward to ask which bed he was moving, he could hear a loud laugh which, with a sinking feeling, Even could identify as Dr Valtersen’s.

It seemed as though the world had it out for Even. Not content with ripping his teenage years from him, it now wanted to taunt him with constant interactions with the Omega doctor whose scent did funny things to Even’s insides.

As the doctor came into view, Even realised he was laughing at something a nurse had said, as they stood around the bed of a small, blonde girl. She could not have been more than three years old, yet there was a smile on her face that made her milk teeth shine in the artificial light.

“Hey, kiddo, your ride is here,” Dr Valtersen said, gesturing towards Even.

Swallowing, Even made his way over to the bed, unsure of how to act around both the doctor and the small child. He had spent very little time with children over the last five years, and even then, the children he had encountered were closer to their teenage years than birth. The girl in the bed looked so breakable and fragile, that Even feared that a simple knock could damage her.

“Hi,” Even greeted stiffly, nodding at whom he could only assume were the young girl’s parents. The father smiled weakly, stroking the girl’s hair absently, while the mother whispered to her, promising to keep a rather tattered toy turtle safe while the doctors fixed her insides.

“Okay, Airin, you ready to get rid of that nasty tumour?” Dr Valtersen asked brightly.

The girl – Airin – giggled, seemingly enthralled with the young doctor. Her parents rose to their feet, kissing their daughter on the forehead.

“We’ll see you when you come out, okay sweetheart?”

When Airin suddenly realised that her parents would not be accompanying her on this rather frightening trip, she let out a small whimper, to which Even swore he saw Dr Valtersen wince at.

“Hey, hey, Airin, your mum and dad are going to be waiting for you right here, okay? I’m gonna be here all the time.” Dr Valtersen smiled gently at the little girl, and Even’s heart skipped a beat. His hands shaking slightly, he unhooked the bed and took the breaks off, waiting for confirmation to move. Sniffling, Airin nodded miserably, having one last sniff of her much-loved toy and slipping her hand into the doctor’s. Dr Valtersen’s thumb caressed the back of her hand gently, and he nodded at Even to start moving. Her parents walked with them to the end of the ward, kissing her forehead before watching Even wheel their child towards the OR.

Once they were in a small room, Even put the break on the bed, finally trusting himself to get patients from A to B without difficulty. With a start, he realised Dr Valtersen was smiling at him as the anaesthesiologist came through the door.

“Thanks,” Dr Valtersen said, his tone so much warmer than it had been the last time they had spoken.“See you around.”

Even nodded jerkily, waving at Airin.

“You’ll do great – Dr Valtersen will make sure you get back to your mum and dad as quick as possible!”

He wasn’t sure where it had come from, and he wasn’t sure why he had said it, but Airin smiled sleepily, already succumbing to the anaesthetic that was being pumped into her body.

“I sure will!” the doctor exclaimed, nodding at the anaesthesiologist. “I’m gonna go scrub up, okay?”

Considering himself to be dismissed, Even turned and walked out of the room, heading towards the lift that would take him to the third floor to begin his restock, his insides warm from the exchange he had had with Dr Valtersen. Maybe the day wasn’t going to be that bad after all.

***

Actually, yes, it was going to be.

Turns out, someone had been violently sick in the toilets he had been restocking and it had taken a good 45 minutes for Even to adequately clean and disinfect it. How someone had gotten so much vomit on the mirror, Even would never know, but he did know that it had been a bitch to get off and that he was very behind on the rest of his jobs for the day. Something that the receptionist – Sandra – had been quick to point out as Even had trudged towards the cleaning cupboard. He had never committed a murder, however this woman would potentially be his first victim should he ever get the urge.

“-and you need to sort out the mess in front of the lift on floor five!” she shrieked after him. “Someone’s dumped boxes there!”

“And then I can stick a broom up my ass and sweep the floor,” Even grumbled under his breath, flinging the door of the cupboard open and shoving his mop into it.

Then, sighing, he turned and made his way towards the corridor which, inevitably, take him towards the lift. However, had he known what would happen next, he would have quite definitely have taken the stairs. For the woman who came strolling towards him seemed as though she wanted nothing

more than to wrap her hands around his neck and, given the past few years, he had little desire to repeat that scenario. “Can I help-”

“My mother has been lying with a spilled cup of tea in her lap for ten minutes!” the woman exclaimed. “Why on earth hasn’t it been sorted, hmm? Why are the staff in the hospital so incompetent? I should have taken her private!”

Even stared at her, his brain failing to keep up with her angry accusations. However, this seemed to further drive the woman’s fury.

“Well? What do you have to say? Are you going to do anything about it?”

“Ma’am, I’m a porter, I don’t actua-”

The woman let out a huff of mirthless laughter, staring up at the ceiling.

“Of course you’re not. More fucking porters than actual staff!”

Suddenly, Even is fifteen years old again, and the woman standing in front of him is his mother. And she’s shouting at him about his stupid life choices and how he’s ruined his life for good now. How disappointed she is in him. How ashamed she is to have raised a son who would do such things. It made a lump rise in his throat, and he struggled to open his mouth, let alone form words to dissuade the woman from shouting at him.

“Hey!” Came a voice from the end of the corridor. “You do not speak to any of the staff in this hospital like that!”

Even whipped around just in time to see a furious Dr Valtersen stalking towards himself and the woman, his face twisted into a livid expression. “If your staff could do their job, then there would be no issue here,” the woman replied coldly, shooting Even a glare and drawing herself to her full height – given that both men were upwards of 6 feet, there was little point in doing so – “Your porter here is pretty slow on the cleaning.”

“Our porters work extremely long hours and are one of the backbones of this hospital,” Dr Valtersen said icily. “If you have a complaint, you can fill out a form at reception. You do not verbally attack Even.”

The woman sneered, looking between Even and Isak before turning around, accepting that it was a lost battle. The two men watched as the woman disappeared through double doors, Isak remaining silent until he could no longer hear the clack of her shoes.

“Are you okay?” Dr Valtersen asked finally, turning to Even, who was slightly stunned that Dr Valtersen actually knew his name.

“Um, yeah,” Even mumbled quietly. “Thanks though.”

Dr Valtersen nodded, the men standing awkwardly until Even attempted to make conversation with him.

“How’s the little girl? Airin?”

Thankfully, Dr Valtersen’s face broke into a smile.

“We got the tumour out,” he said triumphantly. “Hopefully with chemotherapy we can get rid of the cancer.”

Even’s stomach flipped. Cancer? At such a young age? He knew that children got cancer, he was aware of that. But it was hard to imagine that the bright, happy little girl who had been in that bed had been afflicted in such a way.

“Poor girl,” he murmured, more to himself than Dr Valtersen’s. The other man nodded in agreement.

“It’s an aggressive form of cancer but I’m feeling optimistic that we can get it.”

Optimistic. That was definitely a word he could associate with Dr Valtersen. As someone who had spent time around the doctor when he interacted with his young patients, there was nothing to suggest that Dr Valtersen was anything less than optimistic about the survival of children on his ward. “Good,” Even breathed, nodding his head distractedly.

“Is it difficult? Seeing them go through so much at such a young age?” Dr Valtersen seemed to think for a moment before nodding, looking Even in the eye.

“In the beginning it was difficult,” he said thoughtfully, “but then when you weigh it up with the knowledge that you helped get that child better, it’s a no-brainer. It’s hard when things don’t go to plan but you learn to separate yourself.”

“I don’t know how you do it,” Even admitted, leaning against the mop in his hand. Dr Valtersen chuckled, flashing white teeth. Even could make out a small gap between his front one, and rather than detracting from the handsomeness of the man, it was merely endearing to Even.

“Yeah, I-” Suddenly, Dr Valtersen’s pager went off and he snatched it from his waistband, squinting at it. “I need to go,” he said quickly, already breaking into a run. “I’ll talk to you later!” With that, he tore down the corridor, wrenching the door open and disappearing the same way that the woman had.

***

It had taken approximately forty-three minutes for Isak to get a message on OmegaMatch.

He had tried not to judge the grammar and the punctuation, instead focussing on the words on his phone screen. It had been years since he had been on a date; what did people even do on dates? What bases were you meant to cover before…stuff happened? The man was obviously an Alpha – broad shouldered and tan, with a square jaw, his profile picture flashing the tensed muscles under his t-shirt. He wasn’t really Isak’s type, but it wasn’t as though he had a great deal of options going. Besides, Eva had already stolen his phone and arranged a meet-up.

“What did you do that for?” he hissed furiously, snatching his phone back in horror. “I can’t just meet up with a stranger!”

Eva merely rolled her eyes, filling out paperwork on her desk.

“Everyone starts off as a stranger, Isak,” she told him breezily. “How do you expect to meet anyone if you don’t try to meet someone? He could be the love of your life!” Isak could tell that a man that professed himself as a “professional gym goer” would not be the love of his life.

“Look, just go and if you don’t enjoy it, there are plenty of other fish in the sea! And it’ll be in a public place so there’s no chance of anything seedy happening!”

Isak felt the blood drain from his face. How could he have been so naïve? It was all very well agreeing to meet a strange Alpha, but there were several alarming statistics suggesting a correlation between the death rate of Omegas thought violent crimes and the surge in use of dating apps.

“Where?” he asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“That bar we went to for Magnus’s birthday,” Eva replied breezily. “Look, Isak, if you really don’t want to go, you can cancel. I just think it’s a shame that you aren’t giving in a chance when you don’t know where it could lead. Sure, he might not be the one. But we’re young! You should be out living your life instead of living in the on-call room and sitting alone in that bloody apartment of yours!”

Isak glowered at the truth, casting his eyes downwards at his phone.

**ERIK: can’t wait see u soon x**

Surely it couldn’t hurt to try? And they would be in a public place on a busy, Friday night! And if it turned out to be really awful, he could just walk away and get a cab home. It would certainly make a change from the rather depressing evening he had had planned for himself on his night off, which had involved Grey’s Anatomy reruns and takeaway.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But if I get murdered and found in a garbage bin somewhere, it’s on your head.”

Eva rolled her eyes at him before looking back at her paperwork, rifling through a file as though the thought of Isak’s death had absolutely no consequence to her.

It was delightful having such a supportive friend.

But nevertheless, as he wandered back towards his latest patient, Isak couldn’t help but let his mind wander to his exchange with the handsome new porter. And although he had been quick to write him off on his first day, now that he had spoken to Even, he was more accommodating towards the older man. And suddenly, Isak was wishing that it was Even he was meeting for a date, and not this Erik.


	3. "Vodka sounds perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains attempted non-con. If this is a difficult topic for you or triggering, please, please, please don't read it. There will be a brief summary of what happens in the next chapter purely for this reason.

Chapter 3:

Isak was panicking. What did one wear to a date? For too long he had rested in the comfort of sweatpants and hoodies on his days off, swapped only for smart shirts and trousers for work. He wasn’t sure if he could _do_ a happy medium of casual and smart.

Currently, the contents of his wardrobe was spilled across his bed, clothes he had not seen since high school looking horribly out of place among his work clothes. God, he felt like a teenage girl. He was a freaking _doctor_! He had put himself through medical school and still he had butterflies and fears of inadequacy in the face of a complete stranger.

Letting out a groan, he settled for navy blue slacks and a white shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows to make the outfit look slightly more casual. As he checked his reflection in the mirror, he winced at the state of his hair; his curls were unruly, sat on top of his head like a golden crown. Haircuts, presently, had become a luxury that he had little time for. But as Isak made his way towards his door, he made a mental note to make an appointment as soon as possible.

He jogged down the stairs, checking his watch absently. He still had twenty minutes to cross the next few streets to reach the bar, so he slowed his jog to a walk, his dress shoes clicking against the pavement.

It was a cool night, the heat of the summer giving way to the darker evenings of autumn. Soon, there would be frost forming on the streets and before anyone knew it, it would be another Christmas. The thought made Isak wince uncomfortably, trying to push that thought to the back of his mind, eager to discourage any other reminders of another lonely winter.

As he reached the door of the bar, Isak gave himself a moment to take a deep breath. There was still time to back out of this. He could easily feign illness and go home back to his Grey’s Anatomy boxset. He could tell Eva he went on the date, it didn’t go well and leave it at that. Nobody would be any the wiser!

His phone buzzed, and, as though the world was giving him a sign, he looked down to see that Erik had messaged him.

**ERIK: Im here x**

Isak gulped, gritting his teeth as he pushed open the door.

 _It was only drinks, it was only drinks, it was only drinks_.

For a Friday night, the bar was decidedly bare of customers. Only a few couples sat in booths, their hands touching and faces close as they shared whispers. Isak tried not to think about the notion that Erik may think they would be one of those couples tonight. However, when his eyes set on Erik – who was standing at the bar, a drink already in front of him – Isak knew for a fact that there would be no giggled whispers or playing footsie under the table.

“Um, hi,” Isak said, approaching the shorter man. “I’m Isak.” Erik turned, quite obviously running his eyes over Isak’s form and smirking.

“Erik.” He stuck his hand out and Isak caught a glimpse of a small tattoo on the base of his thumb. His heart plummeted. It was an Omega symbol, which Isak would not have been concerned about, had it not been for the black cross that scored through it.

 _A Traditionalist_.

Glancing around, Isak tried to look for the nearest exit. Should he just play along? Pretend he hadn’t seen the tattoo and then take the first opportunity to get out of there?

“Do you want a drink?” Erik asked smoothly, evidently unaware that Isak knew what he was. Isak pulled his lower lip between his teeth before nodding jarringly, his mouth dry and his hands beginning to feel clammy.

“Beer,” he said to the bartender, taking a seat beside Erik. His cologne was strong and it was making Isak feel slightly sick. Either that, or his nose was beginning to take note of the waves of disgust rolling off his date. Isak paid for his drink, sipping on it.

“You use the app often?” Erik asked lightly, flashing a toothy grin at Isak.

“My friend set it up,” Isak replied, his eyes flitting across Erik’s face. “She replied to your message.” A wave of something crossed Erik’s face but as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, replaced with a smile that was far too big to be genuine.

“Sounds like a good friend,” he chuckled. “Can’t say I do this often. But I’ve decided that I want to settle down and it seems like a good way of meeting someone who wants the same thing.”

Isak blinked quickly.

“I, uh, hadn’t really thought of settling down anytime soon,” he stammered, a flush creeping across his cheeks. “I just…want to get back in the game.”

Erik snorted lightly, downing the rest of his drink.

“I thought all Omegas wanted to settle down as soon as possible.”

Anger flared through Isak, the young man setting his glass down on the bar, his brows drawing together in a frown.

“That’s a very outdated way of thinking,” he countered. “My career is important to me. I wouldn’t want to settle down now, if at all.”

Which was a lie; Isak wanted someone to settle down with at _some point_. But not _now_. Not when he was at his prime, saving lives and doing something he had gone through so much to achieve.

“Then what the _hell_ are you doing on OmegaMatch?” Erik asked, the laughter gone from his voice. “Surely you can get any lay you want just walking into a club with your _scent_.”

Isak had had enough. Whatever Erik’s game was he was done. He slipped off his bar stool, glowering at Erik.

“I’m not like that. And neither are the majority of Omegas,” Isak snapped coldly. “It’s pig-headed Knotheads like you-” He gestured at the hand Erik’s tattoo was on “-that endorse that idea.” With that, Isak stalked towards the door, shoving it open furiously. So clouded in his anger, he didn’t hear the footsteps that followed him, and neither did he realise someone was behind him before it was too late.

“You’re just another omega bitch,” Erik muttered. Before he had time to react, Isak found himself being flung against the wall of the bar, his head making contact with the brick with a definite thunk. Staring hazily at Erik, Isak could just make out the sneer on the other man’s face. Then, with a sinking sensation in his stomach, Isak heard Erik unzip the front of his jeans and – fuck – try to turn Isak around.

Isak let out a growl, fighting against the man’s strong grip, elbows flying wildly and evidently surprising his assailant. Erik let out a frustrated roar, managing to pin Isak’s arms behind his back in one swift mood and, through the panic that was clouding his head, Isak vaguely thought that he would never again accept a date invitation from a “professional gym goer”.

“Let go!” Isak snarled, his face pressed against the wall. He aimed a kick backwards, only for Erik to catch his leg between strong thighs. Isak felt the man’s stubble brush against the juncture of his neck and shoulder, his hot breath against the sensitive skin there making Isak’s stomach lurch in disgust.

“Don’t fucking tease if you’re not going to put out,” Erik growled in his ear. “Just another slut leading another Alpha on a chase.”

Despite himself, Isak let out a small whimper as Erick pressed closer, his chest constricting with the pressure he was putting on his chest. Clumsy hands pulled at his trouser waistband and cool air made contact with his exposed skin.

“Please,” Isak whined, hating the desperation in his voice and that he was _begging_ not to be assaulted.

“This is what you need-”

“What the fuck are you _doing_?!” There was a roar somewhere close to Isak and, suddenly, the grip Erik had on him was gone. Scrabbling to pull his trousers up, he turned wildly, trying to find the source of the voice. His eyes were drawn downwards, to where Erik lay sprawled on the ground, his lip split and, thankfully unconscious.

Panting and hands shaking, Isak turned, only to come face to face with… _Even_.

“Are you okay?!” Even demanded, moving to touch Isak, only for him to flinch involuntarily. Even nodded understandingly, holding his hands up. Isak mouthed wordlessly, his voice having not quite caught up with what had just happened.

“Look, my flat is literally just there, come in and, I dunno, calm down? We can call the police!” Isak looked to where Even was gesturing towards, taking in the small block of rundown buildings. Before he knew what he was doing, he was nodding numbly. Isak took one last look at Erik, his shoulders shaking in shock.

“I can be a witness if you want,” Even said quietly, guiding him towards his building. “I mean-”

“No,” Isak interrupted abruptly. “I- I don’t want anyone to know.”

“But-”

“Please, Even,” Isak mumbled tiredly, going through the door into the block. It smelled faintly of urine and air freshener, as though someone had done a pretty shit job of cleaning the hall. The stairs were covered in green, faded linoleum, which curled at the edges where it had not been stuck down properly. There were dark marks on the walls which, at one time, may have been white. Now, they were a dingy grey colour.

“I’m here,” Even said, fumbling for keys in his jean pockets. With a click, he pushed the door open and ushered Isak inside before locking the door behind them. When Isak looked at him questioningly, Even shot him a strained smile.

“It’s not the safest area.”

Nodding, Isak looked around, his body beginning to ache now that the panic had dissipated. His wrists hurt from being held and his shoulders throbbed from the sheer force they had been held in place. Isak could tell that his face was bruised from being pushed against the wall and tried to remember if he still had MarkCover-Up from past injuries.

“I- Sit, I’ll get you a drink. I don’t have whisky or anything but I’ve got some vodka?” Even tried, moving towards the kitchenette. It was then that Isak realised that he was standing in a small studio flat, the double bed unmade and the kitchen table plastic. Other than a small TV crammed in the corner, Even seemed to have very little in possessions.

Isak huffed out a small laugh despite himself, sitting down on one of the chairs by the table, rubbing his face tiredly.

“Yeah, vodka sounds perfect.”

He watched as Even pulled open a cupboard and re-emerged with two chipped mugs, the man smiling apologetically as he explained, “Sorry, no glasses.” Isak had a flash of being at school again, where he had quite happily drunk out of any form of crockery as long as it held a large amount of alcohol.

The irony was that he now owned several glasses but had few people to share them with.

When Even set the mug down in front of him, however, his mind became focused on the utter mess of Even’s hand, presumably where he had punched Erik in the face.

“Your hand!” he exclaimed. “Where’s your first aid kit?” Even frowned at him in confusion before looking down at his hand. He blinked, as though he had not realised that his knuckles were swollen and cut, the bruising already forming around his fingers.

“It’s fine,” he dismissed with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’ve had worse.” As his words left his mouth, his eyes widened, as though it had been a statement that he had not meant to share with Isak.

“Sorry, Dr Valtersen, my hand is fine.”

“My name is Isak,” Isak murmured, gently wrapping his hands around Even’s wrist and pulling him closer. “You don’t need to call me Dr Valtersen.” Something flickered in Even’s eyes before the older man cleared his throat and pulled away, leaving Isak feeling a bitter twinge of disappointment.

Even disappeared into another cupboard, pulling out what seemed to be the smallest first aid kid known to man.

“Sorry,” he apologised sheepishly. “It came with the flat.”

Wondering what sort of flat came with its own first aid kit, Isak took it from Even and unzipped it. He had worked with less but it would be difficult to know what Even’s hand needed without cleaning it up first.

“You got any more of that vodka?”

***

Even had been kicked. Even had been punched. Even had needed surgery for a ruptured kidney.

But, currently, he could safely say that having Isak Valtersen pouring vodka over his open wounds was complete agony.

“Ouch!” he hissed, flinching away from the young doctor’s cloth. “Can’t we just do this with water?”

“If you want it to get infected, yes,” Isak replied dryly, dabbing at Even’s knuckles. “Otherwise, hold still. I’m nearly finished.”

Even pouted slightly, watching Isak work. Finally, he seemed to be finished with the vodka, grabbing a damp cloth and slowly wiping away the drying blood. Had Even had his way, he would have left it to scab over and be done with it. However, apparently doctors weren’t keen for that form of treatment, and Isak had seemingly made it his mission to ensure that Even was receiving the world’s best treatment.

“Thanks,” Isak said quietly, dabbing Even’s knuckles with the wet cloth. “For back there.” Even shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to wince as Isak cleaned his split knuckles. He was becoming increasingly aware of the dissipation of Omega fear and its sweet, homely replacement that had Even’s stomach churning.

“It’s fine,” he managed to bite out. “I wasn’t just going to leave you there with him.” Their gazes met and Even could make out the beginnings of a dark bruise forming around Isak’s left eye.

“Joys of internet dating,” Isak replied dryly, reaching over to rummage in Even’s meagre first aid kit. Even’s ears perked up, a frown forming on his face. And before he could stop himself, his mouth was opening and his words were spilling out before his brain could process them.

“ _You_ need to internet date?” he asked incredulously. Regret filled his insides at the sudden flush that rose over Isak’s cheeks and he _almost_ felt guilty had it not been for the delightful spike in the younger man’s scent. Even let himself get carried away in the thought of his home _always_ smelling like the soft cinnamon mix of biscuits and homemade bread, and it made him ache for a glimpse of normality he had never been fortunate enough to encounter.

“I-” Isak spluttered, blinking quickly. “I don’t exactly… _meet_ people at my work.”

“I’m sorry!” Even exclaimed. “That was so out of line. You don’t-”

Isak shook his head, smiling weakly as he stuck the plasters over Even’s bruised hand.

“Nah, it’s fine,” he murmured. “My friend’s been badgering me for weeks about “playing the field” but I think it’s the last time I take her advice.”

Isak let out a small chuckle, shaking his head, gathering the various wrappers and depositing them in Even’s overfilling bin, who berates himself for not emptying it before he left. However, he has yet to see Isak cast a disparaging look at his apartment and from what he can tell, Isak doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. Besides, there was no chance Even was letting him walk home alone after the position he had found Isak in not an hour previously.

“Are you…hungry?” Even asked hopefully, looking up at a standing Isak. For a moment, Even believed that he was about to get politely rejected, before Isak smiled faintly, nodding.

“Yeah, I’m pretty hungry.”

Even tried to conceal the grin spreading across his face but from the matching one on Isak’s, he realised he was doing a pretty botch job of it.


	4. "Good weekend?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PREVIOUSLY: Isak goes on his date and finds out that Erik is a traditionalist (someone who believes Omegas have no right to work etc). Erik tries to sexually assault Isak but Even turns up and puts a stop to it. Even takes Isak back to his flat where Isak cleans up Even's fist and they bond.
> 
> WARNING: this chapter contains mention of suicide and original character child death. 
> 
> REMINDER: I have no real medical knowledge, therefore all procedures mentioned are poetic license (and taken from Grey's Anatomy probably)

The next morning, Even woke to find his home engulfed in Isak’s scent. It took a moment to realise that he was on his sofa, rather than the lumpy bed in the corner, but memories of the night before came flooding back, and he sat bolt upright.

However, the bed that he had given to Isak was empty, made up to look a hell of a lot better than Even could ever make it look. Perhaps he had dreamt it? Given the empty bottle of vodka sitting on the table, there was a possibility that he had managed to drunkenly hallucinate.

Even’s head throbbed as he got to his feet, confusion masking his features as he crossed the room towards the sink, his mouth dry. It was then he saw the hastily scrawled note on the table, written on the back of leaflet Even had got through the letterbox about the neighbourhood watch.

**Even,**

**Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up; I got called in for work. Thank you for last night.**

**Isak x**

Even’s heart swelled. Suddenly, he was fourteen years old, before everything turned to shit. Foolish crush, that would probably never come to anything, but Even let himself be lost in his head for a moment, happy that he at least got the night before.

At about half one in the morning, Isak had declared himself exhausted and had gotten to his feet, mumbling something about catching a cab back to his apartment. Even had also jumped to his feet, spurred on by the substantial amount of vodka he and Isak had consumed (maybe most of it had been Even but who was measuring?), and had insisted that Isak stayed the night.

The other man had been unsure – of course he had; he had just been pressed against a wall by another guy and here was another asking him to stay over. But once Even had made it clear that he would stay on the sofa, and Isak get the bed, the latter had been much more willing.

It wasn’t until Isak soft snores filled the room that Even had drifted off into a peaceful sleep, breathing in Isak’s scent and dreaming of soft touches and gentle caresses.

Unfortunately, however, it wasn’t until Monday that Even saw Isak again. He had tried not to get too excited about seeing him, but honestly, he’d pretty much spent the whole weekend psycho-analysing their entire time spent together. So by the time Monday morning rolled around, Even felt like a teenager again and was sporting an unkempt, emotional-wreck kind of look.

“Good weekend?” Kristian winked, opening the door of the cupboard. Even offered him a brief, strained smile as he raked his hand through his hair. He was not going to discuss this with Kristian -  if there was anything he had learned over the past couple of weeks, was that the older man was prone to oversharing information with others, and not necessarily his own information.

“Right,” Kristian said, clearing his throat as he unfolded his daily list. “Some files need to be taken to the admin room – Sandra will tell you where they go.” Even just about stifled the groan that had crept up his throat at the thought of spending time with Sandra, but just nodded lamely, shoulders sagging.

“But first, you need to go up to the children’s ward and disinfect their bathroom – there’s been an outbreak of gastroenteritis.”

The groan was replaced with a feeling of hope. Never had he thought that he would be so excited about cleaning a toilet, but there he was, the promise of perhaps seeing Isak making his heart leap.

Quickly, Even grabbed the cleaning trolley and wheeled it past Kristian without another word, his day already looking up. But when Even reached the ward, he very quickly realised that his chances of talking to Isak were slim.

The continuous sound of a flatline rang out across the room from behind a curtain. Even could hear shouts of medical speak, and he wished he knew what it all meant. Above all others, he could make out Isak’s voice, smell his distress permeating the air. He wanted to comfort him but instead made his way towards the bathroom, his heart in his throat at the thought of a child flatlining.

Slowly, Even made his way through his cleaning, straining his ears to hear what was happening in the ward. Silence had fallen, the noise of machines having faded to be replaced with the sound of sobbing.

Even swallowed, tipping bleach down the toilet. Hospitals were strange. He had spent many hours of his childhood in various hospital beds but never had he been in the same vicinity as a dead person.

Well, not within a hospital, anyway.

There had been a time where Even had wished for death. After he had been sentenced, and his life became one of closed doors and prison guards, there had been periods where he hadn’t wanted to go on. What life was that? To spend his later teenage years in a box, with only a selective mute cellmate for company? No, that had never been what he had envisioned for his life.

In retrospect, when Even thought about it, going to prison had been inevitable given what he had been involved in. He had just been too young to realise it.

And there was a child, dead, not ten feet away from him, innocent. Alive one moment and gone the next. The image made a lump rise in Even’s throat and his scrubbing became so violent that it was a miracle he didn’t take the enamel off the toilet.

Finally realising that he could no longer pretend to clean the bathroom anymore, Even put everything back into the trolley and stepped out onto the ward. As he started towards lift, he saw Isak stalking towards the locker room, flinging the door open and disappearing inside.

Even wasn’t sure what made him do it. He wasn’t sure what part of his brain thought it was appropriate to encroach on the other man’s turmoil. But suddenly, he was walking towards the locker room, with every intention to act Alpha to a man he had no business talking to in the first place.

***

“Oh my God, Isak, I am _so_ sorry!” Eva exclaimed, clasping a hand over her mouth, her expression horrified. “If I’d have known-”

“How were you supposed to have known?” Isak asked dryly, raising his coffee to his lips. “You didn’t exactly put “Young Omega Doctor, looking for would-be sexual predator” on the profile.” He quirked his eyebrow at Eva, trying not to let out a sigh.

When she had asked about how his date had gone, Isak had been half tempted to lie and tell her that it was okay but they just weren’t going to work. But then he thought about the fear that had shot through him when Erik had pressed him against the wall, and the sheer panic that he had felt when he realised he couldn’t fight him off, and suddenly he felt it was important that he tell Eva just _how_ wrong she had been by setting him up on an internet date.

“I take it you deleted the account?” Eva asked sheepishly.

“Yeah, after the abusive messages from him, I thought it would be best,” Isak muttered into his coffee cup. It wasn’t that he was still feeling bitter about it, it was just that reality had set in and Isak had realised that Omega-Phobia was still rife in the world. He wasn’t naïve; of _course_ traditionalists still existed, but Isak had not encountered one in several years.

“How did you get home?” Eva asked quickly. “You didn’t _walk_ back on your _own_ , did you?” It was then that the smile crept over Isak’s face, before he could do anything to stop it. He remembered Even’s strong hands, the concern in his voice, the laughs they had shared over the bottle of vodka.

“I, uh, you know Even, the porter? He sort of got Erik off me and I went back to his.”

Eva’s face lit up.

“ _Nothing happened, Eva_!” Isak almost shouted. “He slept on his sofa.”

Eva smirked, getting to her feet and putting her coffee cup in the bin.

“And will you be seeing him again?” she asked coyly, tilting her head to the side, auburn hair brushing over her shoulder.

“We work together,” Isak replied in a monotonal tone, throwing his cup into the same bin and readjusting the turn-ups of his sleeves. “Of course I’ll see him again.”

“That is _not_ what I meant, and you _know_ it, Isak Valtersen!” Eva called after him, as Isak began to walk down the hallway towards the locker room. He gave her a half-hearted wave, shaking his head and rolling his eyes when she was out of earshot.

He loved Eva, he really did. She was the best friend he had in the hospital and they had been through thick and thin together, but, God, she was too invested in his life. He was tempted to find _her_ a boyfriend so that she was distracted.

Isak had been reluctant to mention Even to her, knowing that Eva would push and push and push the subject. He didn’t want to traumatise the poor boy! Besides, Isak thought with a flush, he had just been acting on biological instinct. Even had been an Alpha reacting to an Omega in distress and had acted accordingly. Despite being the _least_ Alpha guy Isak had ever encountered. Which was a refreshing change given how Friday night had begun.

He just didn’t want to get his hopes up – it would be entirely inappropriate for him to initiate a relationship with another member of staff. And Even probably wasn’t interested in him.

Just as Isak pushed the door of the locker room open, his pager went off. He glanced down wearily, half-expecting to see a reminder to do rounds before his eyes widened. Quickly, he tore off down the corridor towards the children’s ward, dodging and shouting people out of the way. He skidded around the corner, paling as he saw another doctor doing chest compressions on one of his patients.

“What happened?!” Isak shouted, checking the little boy’s stats. Cardiac arrest. Lips going blue.

“I don’t know!” one of the junior doctors exclaimed, his face ashen as he administered medication into the child’s IV quickly. “He just started fitting!”

“Shocking him, out the way!” Isak shouts, moving to the bedside and pressing the defibrillator to the patient’s chest. “Charging!” The child’s body convulsed as the electric shock hit his chest, the flatline still ringing. Shoving the defibrillator back to the junior doctor, Isak began CPR, his eyes fixed on the machine beside the boy. He muttered to himself, gritting his teeth.

“How long has he been this way?” he demanded, glancing at the clock.

“Ten minutes,” the junior doctor told him, swallowing. “Do- Do we call it?”

Isak continued his chest compressions wordlessly, silently begging the boy’s pulse to return. However, his efforts seemed fruitless and, reluctantly, his eyes stinging slightly, he slowly stepped away from the child. He clenched his jaw, a glare settling over his features as he took in the scene around him.

“Time of death,” Isak muttered. “0942.”

He turned to the nurse, looking at her grimly.

“Where are the parents?” Isak breathes. “I need to tell them. Take him to a private room.”

The nurse nodded and Isak took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. It never got easier. Telling a parent that their child hadn’t made it. It gnawed at Isak’s insides, made his hands shake slightly as he made his way down to the waiting area, greeted by the sight of two fathers, holding each other desperately.

When they saw Isak approaching, the jumped to their feet. The slim Omega, blonde hair and blue eyes and a tear-streaked face, stepped forwards, pulling the older, greyer Beta with him.

“Is he okay? Can we see him?”

Isak stood in front of the parents, fixing his face, professional. A doctor, not a human.

“I’m very sorry,” Isak said quietly. Already, their faces crumpled, the younger man burying his face in the chest of his partner. “We tried everything we could to get him breathing again. Unfortunately, his fit was just too severe.”

The Omega let out a small howl of devastation, his knees giving out as his grief pressed down on him. Tears streamed down the Beta’s face, gripping onto his husband tightly as he sat them both down.

When he spoke, his voice was thick, as though his words were killing every bit of him.

“C-Can we see him?”

Isak nodded.

“Of course. We’ve taken him somewhere private. Come with me.”

There was nothing Isak could say that would make the situation any either. Instead, he led the couple towards the rooms they kept aside for patient privacy. The little boy had been wrapped in a blanket, the nurses having made him look peaceful enough to look as though he was asleep.

The Omega fell against the bed, cupping his son’s face with soft touches, begging him to wake up.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Isak said quietly. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” With that, he closed the door quietly. It was not until he had reached the locker room once more that he sat down, burying his face in his hands, taking in shaky breaths. He let out a long, low whine, something inside him crumbling at the thought of the destroyed Omega he had just spoken to.

So engrossed in the sadness that filled his insides, Isak did not notice the door opening. It was only when a hand touched his shoulder that he jumped, staring up at the person who had interrupted his alone time. He was about to tell them where to go, when he realised that it was _Even_ who was staring down at him, his face concerned, not unlike how it had been on Friday.

“I-” Isak choked.

Even nodded, sitting down slowly beside him, his hand still on Isak’s shoulder.

“I know,” he murmured. “I heard.”

Isak swallowed, his chest aching. He was not normally like this. There had been children – more than he liked to think about – who died on his service before. He was no stranger to death. But there was something about the Omega’s anguish that had triggered something inside of him, as though seeing him had opened some sort of floodgate.

Before Isak knew what he was doing, he was burying his face in Even’s shoulder, breathing in the calming smell of Alpha scent. Even did not push him away, but pulled him closer, resting his cheek against Isak’s curls and rubbing his hand across Isak’s back comfortingly.

Isak squeezed his eyes shut and, for a moment, he pretended that Even was _his_ Alpha and that the gentle thrum that breezed through Isak was from a well-loved bond.

It was the most comforting thing he could think of.


	5. "I'm watching, Even."

Chapter 5:

They sat there for twenty minutes, neither man saying anything, both finding comfort in the hug. For Isak, it was about feeling safe, about feeling reassured, about being in a bubble of calm. For Even, the unfamiliar feeling of being wanted, a long-lost experience he hadn’t realised he’d craved until that moment.

When Isak eventually pulled away from Even, the latter was sure that he was about to express regret; make his apologies and leave and never so much as look at Even again. However, Isak looked up at him with red, sad eyes, tears clinging delicately to his eyelashes.

“Thanks,” Isak murmured, his voice thick. He straightened up, his shoulders still pressed against Even’s.

“It’s fine,” Even breathed, his voice barely audible to himself due to the pounding of blood in his ears. He was surprised Isak could not hear the way his heart hammered against his chest but the other man merely gave him a tired smile.

“You kinda keep appearing when I need help,” Isak told him weakly. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re a stalker.” Even balked at the idea, opening his mouth to protest before Isak smiled, the gesture bigger this time.

“I’m kidding.”

Even relaxed slightly. Nevertheless, he pulled his lower lip between his teeth worriedly.

“I feel like I owe you more, but do you want to get a coffee?”

“You don’t owe me _anything_!” Even exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror at the thought of Isak feeling _obligated_ to spend time with him. “I- I’m not like that.”

This time, Isak looked horrified, shaking his head vehemently.

“No! I wasn’t…insinuating…that.” The younger man snorted softly, shaking his head once more, this time slower, more dejected this time.

“I’m sorry, I am legitimately shit at this.” Isak looked him in the eye once more and this time, Even felt a lump rise in his throat. God, how could this one man do so much to him? Surely it wasn’t possible to be _this_ captured by one person.

“Do you want to get coffee with me? I was going to ask you anyway…Next time I saw you.” Isak gave him a helpless little shrug.

“I didn’t quite envision it being like this.”

This time, it was Even’s turn to laugh, looking around the locker room.

“Yeah, it wasn’t how I thought I would see you again,” he admitted.

“So…coffee?” Isak pressed, running his tongue along his lower lip, his body stiff as though he was _nervous_ that Even was going to say _no_.

“Coffee sounds great.”

It did something to Even when he saw Isak light up. It was probably a sign of some deep, traumatic childhood damage that made him crave the ability to make other people happy. That he sought the approval from Isak as a potential…something?

“Cool!” Isak looked at his watch, frowning. “I finish my shift at eight. Bit late for coffee.”

“We could do drinks?” Even suggested, trying to keep his tone light and not sound too desperate. “Or dinner?”

“Dinner. We should have dinner.”

“So…eight?”

“Eight.”

They shared a smile before Isak got to his feet, looking down at Even. As he turned, Even drank in his happy scent, a sharp contrast to the one he had walked in on. Isak gave him a half-hearted wave before disappearing through the door, leaving Even to bask in the conversation.

The prospect of a date with Isak got Even through the rest of his day; his shift finished approximately two hours before Isak’s. Which meant he could go back to his apartment and clean himself up from the day’s work. He didn’t exactly want to rock up for dinner with Isak smelling of sick and other bodily fluids.

For the first time since he had been released, Even walked with a spring in his step, for his life seemed to be on the upturn. It was early days, and he was desperately trying not to pin all his hopes on Isak – life had taught him the danger of letting his happiness rely on other people – but there was something about the doctor that made him giddy with excitement.

Bounding up the steps to his floor, Even was able to look past the dilapidated condition of his building, everything was great and he was happy and-

His heart sank.

A note was pinned to his door. The writing familiar even from a distance. Taking unsteady steps forwards, Even reached his hand out and ripped the paper from the wood. Exhaling shakily, he held the note up to his face, his eyes darting across the page.

**I’m watching, Even**

And all of a sudden, his good mood evaporated, and a chill of fear ran through him. How had they even _found_ him? Hans had assured him that the complete change in location would mean it was more difficult to track him down. Perhaps he had been naïve, but Even had thought it was going to be end of it. That he would be released and that would be the end of it.

But now they had found him.

Even wrenched his door open, closing it quietly as his eyes darted around his small apartment. It didn’t look as though anything had been touched, and there really wasn’t anywhere to hide in the small room that he called his home. A small wave of relief washed over him; at least they hadn’t been _inside_ his apartment, rifling through the small amount of possessions he had.

He was in two minds about whether to cancel his date with Isak. On the one hand, he really, _really_ wanted to go out with the other man. On the other, he was potentially putting Isak in danger even by _entertaining_ the idea of entering a relationship with him.

He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.

***

Isak didn’t want to tell Eva about his date with Even. Mostly because, when it came to Eva’s comments on his love life, she had a tendency to doom him. Exhibit Erik as proof. However, he also didn’t want to jinx the potential of a relationship. Even seemed decent enough, and if things didn’t work out the way Isak was hoping, at least he’d have experienced someone nice than not at all.

That was why, when Eva asked him if he wanted to go out for food with the rest of the gang, he had stammered that he wanted to get an early night. She had narrowed her eyes at him, cocking her head as she rested a hand on her hip.

“Really?” she demanded. “Why?”

Isak let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly.

“It’s been a really rough day, Eva,” he said truthfully. The death of the child was still weighing heavily on his mind, and it would continue to do so for the next few days. Eva’s expression softened slightly, understanding flitting over her features.

“Sorry,” she murmured, pulling him into a hug. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Isak replied, surprised by the tremor in his voice. “I just need to be alone.”

 _Or in the company of a certain porter_.

Eva nodded, releasing him as she pulled her coat on.

“Text me if you need me,” she said, picking up her bag. “Promise?” Isak smiled weakly at her, watching as she disappeared through the locker room door with a delicate wave of her fingers. It was only then he let out a big sigh of relief, leaning against his locker.

He was tired, that part had not been a lie. It had been a long shift and usually he was more than happy to return to his apartment and sleep through till the next afternoon. But there was excitement bubbling in the bottom of his stomach, instead of the nerves he had expected.

Isak moved to leave, catching sight of his reflection in the mirror by the door. He didn’t look his best; there were dark rings beneath his eyes, and his hair was sticking up every way it could – he was in desperate need of a haircut. His shirt was ruffled and his cheeks looked flushed from the long day he’d been subjected to.

Dejectedly, he straightened his shirt, hoping that Even would look past his dishevelled appearance before remembering that Even had actually seen him in surgical scrubs and was unlikely to care about such an insignificant thing.

Before, Isak had had a strict rule about dating his colleagues. He had seen too many bitter workmates and unprofessional working relationships to know that it was nothing but trouble. But there was something about Even that made Isak’s heart jump that little bit faster and his hands grow clammy.

As he turned down the corridor towards the revolving doors at the front of the hospital, his heart hammered slightly. He was like a teenager again; all butterflies and hormones and hopefulness. Even didn’t seem to be there yet but Isak wasn’t worried; their shifts were unlikely to ever align and it was only a little past 2000.

Isak shivered slightly in the breeze and he stowed his hands in his trouser pockets, fingers closing around his pager. God, he hoped that there were no emergencies tonight. Glancing at his watch, he began to jiggle on the spot, attempting to warm himself up as the minutes ticked past.

Worry began to creep in; what if Even wasn’t interested? What if he, Isak, was running away with thoughts that he had no business sprinting with? Was he being stood up by someone he _genuinely_ liked?

Chewing the inside of his cheeks, Isak’s eyes flitted across the empty car park. There was no sign of movement and the darkness was beginning to set in, the sun disappearing behind the skyline. He didn’t even want to look at his watch again, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to die alone and be eaten by Alsatians and not be found for weeks.

“Isak!”

Isak jumped, whipping around to his left and seeing Even jogging towards him, his hair standing on end and his face glowing with a slight sheen of sweat.

“Sorry, I’m late!” he exclaimed, skidding to a halt. “I forgot these!” Isak hadn’t noticed the _bouquet of flowers_ Even had grasped in his hands, and the older man beamed as he passed them to Isak.

Isak’s cheeks burned. He had _never_ been brought flowers. None of his lovers had made the effort, not even on their first dates. And here was Even, earnest and keen, grinning at him.

“I- thanks,” Isak murmured, the corners of his lips twitching.

“You wanna go? There’s this place I saw at the start of the week that looks good.”

Trying to ignore the swell of delight that soared in his chest, Isak gave him a small smile.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to those who caught the Bridget Jones reference


	6. "You're like an anti-anxiety drug."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing like I don't have a science profile due in tomorrow, lol.

“So when did you realise that you wanted to be a doctor?” Even asked casually, pouring Isak another glass of wine. On the outside, he was breezy and calm. On the inside, his heart was hammering and his insides were churning at the thought of fucking it up. Across the table, Isak sat smiling, his hair pushed back and his shirt crumpled and looking so goddamn gorgeous Even was already rocking a semi.

Thank God his chair was tucked right in.

“I’ve always loved science,” Isak admitted, taking his glass. “And in the beginning, I kind of wanted to stay behind the scenes.” He cleared his throat, staring into the deep red liquid in his glass. “Then my mum got sick, and I literally spent all my time in the hospital. The doctor was amazing. Even after she…” Isak swallowed and Even internally cursed at the way the conversation was going.

“Well, she died the year I finished school and the doctor kind of took me under his wing? And then I decided that, yeah, I wanted to do that. That I wanted to help people.” Isak let out a soft snort of laughter. “Paediatric surgeon though? Everyone warned me off it. They thought that I’d be stereotyped as a typical Omega, fawning over kids.”

Isak shook his head, seemingly reminiscing about his past.

“Kids are cool, you know? They’re honest. Give you less abuse than adults!” Even laughed, sharing a smile with Isak, the mood settling.

“Nah, kids are the future, man,” Isak said, taking a sip. “Regardless of being an Omega; I think I’d still be a paediatric surgeon even if I were a Beta or Alpha.” Even’s heart did a backflip at the pure determination on Isak’s face, the way he spoke about his work with such passion. He had _never_ experienced someone so in love with the idea of helping people, and the selflessness of the man in front of him made Even fall for him that little bit more.

“So, what about you?” Isak asked, tilting his head to the side. “What’s the story?”

Even knew it would be coming. It was a natural turn of the conversation, but it didn’t make it any easier.

He cleared his throat nervously, raking a hand through his hair.

“I, um, didn’t ever think I’d be a porter?” he joked, his voice strained. Isak’s expression remained kind, a soft smile on his face.

“I grew up in a nice house, with a nice education and nice parents,” Even said quietly. “Except my parents weren’t really around much. Work, you know?”

Isak nodded once, evidently waiting for Even to continue.

“So I kinda fell in with the wrong crowd. By the time I was fourteen, I was staying out all night, bunking off school, being your stereotypical problem child.” Even cringed slightly at his words, trying to quickly skip through all the memories of fights with other kids much bigger than him, of initiations into gangs of boys and the nights he’d slept in bus shelters because he was too stoned to know where he lived.

“I was fifteen when I got arrested.”

Isak blinked quickly, staring at Even in shock.

“Arrested?”

Even swallowed, leaning back in his seat. He had wanted all his cards on the table. Running away from his past and denying that it had ever happened would only come and bite him in the ass in the long run. Besides, someone like Isak deserved the truth.

“Yeah.”

“Can I ask why?”

“I, um, got caught up in something. I didn’t _do_ anything. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“The head guy in the gang – I guess that’s what you’d call it? – he took me along to watch him “settle a debt”.” Even swallowed again, his entire body tensing at the memories that were spiking at the back of his mind. “Long story short, he killed him. This guy had borrowed money from him and the debt was paid in blood. I swear, I was just there.

“I didn’t do anything, though. Didn’t call for help. So in a way, I was probably just as responsible.”

Even stared down at his knees, his hands shaking slightly. Suddenly, he felt warm fingers curl around his own, and when he looked up, Isak was looking at him with tenderness in his eyes.

“You were just a kid, Even,” he murmured. “I’ve seen a lot of kids come through the hospital who have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. You were probably really scared, right?”

“You have no idea,” Even managed to croak out. Isak squeezed his hand gently.

“You were just a kid,” Isak repeated, pulling away. “You’re not responsible for the death of that man.”

Even’s shoulders sagged, his eyes burning at the realisation that Isak was _not_ writing him off. There would no doubt be questions later, when they were not in public, but at the moment, Isak seemed to understand what he had been going through.

“I- Thanks, Isak,” Even said quietly.

Isak smiled gently.

“You wanna get out of here?”

Even blinked in surprise, his glass of wine long forgotten about. Not that he was complaining – he hadn’t quite grown out of his love for cheap beer and strong vodka. He watched as Isak rose to his feet and crossed the room and, before Even could even interject, he passed a few notes to the waiter who had been serving them.

When he returned, Even was ashen-faced, mortified that Isak had paid.

“You can get the next one,” Isak said with a wink, his grin mischievous as he looked down at Even. A smile tugged at the latter’s lips as he rose to his feet.

“Next one?” he reiterated playfully, moving around the table and heading towards the door. Isak hummed in agreement, picking up the flowers and following Even out into the cool night. The street was surprisingly empty, and Even’s heart was pounding at the thought of what was going to happen next. Where were they going now? He hadn’t planned for this to happen. His apartment was a mess of bottles and bins that needed taking out; certainly not prepared for Isak to be there.

“Would you like to have coffee?”

Even blinked then, looking at Isak. The other man’s lip was pulled between his teeth and he was looking up shyly from under his curly fringe.

“Um, yeah?” Even looked around questioningly. “I doubt anywhere is open-”

 “I was thinking we could go to mine,” Isak said quickly, his cheeks flushing. “Not that I’m suggesting- Jesus, it’s been a while since I’ve done this.” He huffed out a laugh, leaving Even feeling confused and completely out of the loop. “Would you like to come to my apartment, for an honest to God coffee? And not as a euphemism for anything else?”

 _Oh_.

“Coffee sounds great.”

Isak’s face split into a relieved smile and he turned to start walking down the street. Feeling brave, Even brushed his fingers against Isak’s own, his heart in his mouth as the younger man moved his hand, lacing their fingers together. Even hoped that Isak could not feel how sweaty his palm was but he seemed none the wiser as they turned down another side street.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date,” Isak said quietly. “I’m not particularly good at this.”

“One better on me,” Even replied gruffly. When Isak turned his head to look at him, Even found himself tensing up, realising that he had just let himself slip up.

“I, um, was in prison. So dating wasn’t really…I’ve never…”

“Had a relationship?” Isak filled in lightly. His tone was not judgemental by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, his face was kind and Even wondered why he had even doubted that it would be anything but. So far, Isak had surprised him in every aspect but he seemed miles away from the disgruntled doctor he had met on his first day at the hospital.

“You’re a clean slate then,” Isak said, continuing to walk down another street. “I’d better make a good impression.” Out the side of his eye, Even could see the faint smile on Isak’s face, the sparkle in his eye, and it made his stomach do somersaults.

“I think you already have,” Even said truthfully. Suddenly, Isak’s scent spiked, an immensely sweet aroma filling the air as the Omega blushed and ducked his head. Blinking from the strength, Even thanked the high heavens that he was legally required to be on suppressants, otherwise his Alpha would have completely lost its shit.

They walked in silence for the next few minutes, Even still reeling from Isak’s scent until the latter took his hand away, raking in his pocket for his keys. Even looked up, his eyes widening slightly at the large building in front of them both. Apparently, Isak lived in one of the nicest block of apartments Even had laid eyes on. Despite coming from a rather nice neighbourhood himself, Even had never seen something so grand and clean.

“Inheritance money,” Isak mumbled, pushing his keys in the door and unlocking it. Ushering Even in, he started to make his way up the stairs, ignoring the gleaming lift to their right. The stairway was a million miles away from Even’s, and the Alpha started to feel embarrassed that Isak – who was obviously used to such grandeur – had stepped foot his building, which might as well have been condemned.

The building smelt of incense and was pleasantly fragranced, miles away from the piss-like stench that filled Even’s nose whenever he returned home. He kept behind Isak, trying – and failing – not to notice the way Isak’s trousers went tight against his ass whenever the younger man took a step.

“This is me,” Isak said, getting another key and pressing it into a door. Even followed him in, looking around in awe. The walls were cream and the borders and skirting boards a dark brown, a cream carpet leading the way through to a cream kitchenette and living room. Despite living in a shit hole, Even immediately noticed how, well, _bland_ Isak’s apartment was. It seemed to have none of his personality injected into it, nothing that screamed that someone actually lived in it.

“Sit down,” Isak said quickly. “How do you take your coffee?”

Even sat down on the – cream, funnily enough – sofa, feeling somewhat dirty to be sitting on something of such pristine condition.

“Black,” he said, glancing around the room. There were no pictures on the wall, no mementos or knick-knacks. In fact, Isak’s apartment was just as homely as Even’s was.

He watched as Isak busied himself with one of those state-of-the-art coffee machines, pressing buttons and pressing coffee into the grinder.

“Your place is nice,” Even said. It was what you said, wasn’t it?

Isak snorted, shaking his head.

“Liar. It’s boring. I guess with work, I’m hardly ever here. The bedroom is pretty much the only room I live in.”

Even tried not to _think_ about Isak in his bedroom.

“I needed to buy somewhere close to the hospital when I got the job,” Isak explained, coming over with two cups of coffee. “This was the first place I looked at so I just…took it.” Even wondered what it was like to just have the flexibility and the money to buy a property just like _that_.

“It’s a nice area,” Even tried lamely, raising his cup to his lips.

Isak chuckled, flopping down beside Even and pulling his legs underneath himself.

“My neighbour is a witch,” he told Even, a boyish grin on his face. “Horrible woman.”

“My neighbour rakes through my garbage,” Even replied, a smile springing to his face. “I win.”

“No way!” Isak laughed, shaking his head. “Man, people are so _weird_.”

“The guy before me hoarded cigarette butts,” Even said, suppressing a shudder. “I found loads the first time I moved the bed away from the wall.”

“That is…so gross.”

“Yeah, I’m hoping to save for somewhere nicer,” Even said, his voice trailing away, averting his eyes. It was awkward talking about money with someone like Isak, who clearly didn’t struggle. And now that the Omega knew that he had been in prison, he was obviously going to put two and two together.

“Your apartment…was that part of your probation?”

Even nodded, sipping on his coffee, eager to have something to focus on that _wasn’t_ Isak.

“I’m not gonna lie – I’m on probation for the next six months. I stay out of trouble, I’m a free man.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “The job at the hospital is temporary until I can prove that I can hold down a job.”

“Temporary?”

Even looked at Isak, his lip twitching.

“I’m good at wheeling old ladies to morgues but it’s not exactly a career choice.”

The tips of Isak’s ears turned pink and his eyes narrowed at Even playfully.

“That’s not what I _meant_ ,” he replied, smiling. “I just…it’s nice having you around the hospital.”

A thrill of excitement coursed through Even’s chest.

“Eye candy?” Even winked, despite the fact that he felt like his heart was about to escape. Instead, Isak rewarded him with yet another blush, bowing his head to look down at his own drink.

“You’re different. Chilled. I dunno, I just…”

Isak looked at him, eyes flashing gold as his Omega reared its head. Even felt his own go red, a hot prickle of anticipation running down his spine. He wasn’t used to this; he had never felt this way before. In prison, he’d been drugged and dosed up on so many suppressants that it wasn’t until he’d left that he’d been able to consciously _feel_ his Alpha. And then they’d put him on _more_ suppressants to ensure he “wasn’t a danger to the public”. But now? Now he was drinking in the most perfect scent he’d ever breathed in, his eyes focused on the bare expanse of skin on Isak’s neck.

“I-I…” Even stammered, stumbling to his feet, trying not to breathe in.

As though snapped out of a trance, Isak jerked, jumping up as well and looking at Even in complete horror.

“I am _so_ sorry,” Isak groaned, pressing his hand to his forehead. “I don’t know what happened-”

“No,” Even said shakily, trying to control his breathing. “It’s not your fault. It’s just…Your scent is just…it’s _different_.” Isak stared at him, evidently waiting for him to say something more. But when Even could find no more words, Isak merely folded back into the sofa, breathing deeply.

“You make me feel different,” Isak admitted quietly. “I don’t know what it is about you.” Even looked down at him, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat.

“Different?”

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Isak continued, shaking his head. “When I’m around you, it’s like all the stress melts away. You’re like a freaking anti-anxiety drug.” Even laughed weakly, remaining on his feet in case he was about to be asked to leave.

“That’s a new one,” he said, his voice croaky.

Isak looked up at him, his eyes still golden and his face expectant.

“Don’t go,” Isak breathed, putting his hand out. “Please.”

Even paused, looking Isak in the eye before slowly slipping his fingers through the other man’s.


	7. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up."

Isak looked up at Even, his heart pounding with nervousness. Nervousness that was mirrored in the Alpha’s own eyes, neither of them never leaving the other’s gaze. Slowly, Even sat back down on the sofa, their knees knocking together slightly.

Isak didn’t do this. He did not open himself up so freely to someone who was practically a stranger. But here he was, raw and unhidden, his eyes the most golden they had ever been since he had presented at the age of sixteen.

“You deserve someone better than me,” Even said quietly, dropping his gaze. “I’m not…I’m not a _good_ person, Isak.”

“Don’t tell me what I deserve!” Isak replied hotly, his eyebrows drawing together. “All my life, I’ve been told I deserve some big, strong Alpha to look after me. I know what I want, and I know what I deserve.” Isak swallowed, abashed by his sudden outburst, and shamed by the hurt expression that had appeared on Even’s face during it.

“You’re a good person,” Isak continued quietly. “I see the way you are at the hospital, with the children, with the other patients. I can _feel_ it.” He rested his hand on the side of Even’s cheek, forcing the older man to look at him. Isak stared into bright blue eyes, the Alpha red gone.

“You’re a good person,” Isak repeated, running his thumb across the smooth expanse of Even’s face. “You just need to believe it.” He had no idea where these words were coming from but in his heart he knew that he was speaking the truth.

“It’s not that easy,” Even said, voice strained.

 _I’ll make it easy_ , Isak said in his head, smiling faintly.

“Drink your coffee,” he said softly, getting to his feet. “I’ll see if I’ve got biscuits or something.” Even looked up at him with wide eyes, a flicker of hope rippling across his face as Isak moved back into the kitchen.

“I don’t even know what food I’ve got in this place,” Isak called over breezily. “Spend more time getting fast food than anything else; quick and easy.”

There was a beat of silence before Even opened his mouth.

“You don’t seem the type to eat junk.”

Isak turned around, startled when he realised that Even had moved behind him without his hearing. Normally, he would have been perturbed knowing that an Alpha could creep so silently, but the thrill of having Even standing in his kitchen made him overlook that.

“Stereotyping, huh?” Isak teased, setting a tin down.

“You’re a _doctor_ ,” Even laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to…advocate kale or something?”

“Kale is the most boring food on the planet,” Isak said solemnly. “It shouldn’t even count as a food.”

“So, kale smoothies are out then,” Even joked, helping himself to the – possible stale – biscuits in the tin. Isak nodded vehemently, sipping on his coffee, relishing the hot bitter taste.

“I’m more about milkshakes.”

Even made a face, shaking his head.

“I’m going to cook your meals, I swear to God; you _can’t_ live on shit like that.” Isak shot him a soft smile, touched by the subconscious role reversal Even seemed to be suggesting.

“Bit of a chef, are you?”

“I make a mean Ragu,” Even replied, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Isak laughed, tilting his head back and inadvertently bearing his neck to the Alpha. But when he noticed, it was with a start that he realised that he didn’t _care_. He _wanted_ to show Even his neck, wanted the Alpha to see that he was free to mate.

When he tilted his head back to look at Even, the Alpha was frowning, his eyes fixed on what had previously been a white expanse of skin.

“I’m on prison-regulated suppressants,” Even admitted quietly. “I shouldn’t…Your scent shouldn’t affect me like it does.” Isak’s heart almost burst out of his chest at that, inadvertently moving closer, drinking in the unmistakable smell of Even’s arousal.

“I’ve heard of it happening,” Isak murmured. “The urge to mate is repressed for so long that the suppressants stop working. It’s one of the reasons they’re illegal in some countries.” Even nodded jerkily, his eyes darting across Isak’s face. “We can stop, if you like. I don’t…I’m not forcing it.”

Even shook his head quickly, closing the space between them and pressing his lips to Isak’s. Fireworks exploded in the younger man’s chest, pushing closer until their bodies were flush against each other’s. Even let out a soft moan, Isak swallowing it down with an insistent flick of his tongue as he tasted the other man’s mouth.

Even’s arm found Isak’s waist, his other hand fisting itself into Isak’s curls as Isak arched his back, twining his arms around the Alpha’s neck. He could feel Even’s erection pressing against his thigh, smell the heavy musk of _want_ that emanated from him, and a shock of thrill ran down Isak’s back, causing him to push closer bossily.

In response, Even let out the sexiest growl ever to hit Isak’s ears, crowding him against the kitchen counter. The kisses became more insistent, Isak nipping at Even’s lower lip in demand, grinding his bulge against the Alpha’s. He could feel the slick dripping into his briefs, soaking through to the work trousers that would most definitely need to go on a boil wash. It made him moan all the more though, the sharp edge of the counter digging into his back.

Isak let out a muffled whine, causing Even to break away from him suddenly, his chest heaving and his lips red and swollen.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“No,” Isak said, shushing him. “Don’t say sorry. I don’t _want_ you to be sorry.”

Even smiled sheepishly, bringing a shaky hand up to cup Isak’s cheek. The younger man’s eyes fluttered shut, basking in the soft touch that he hadn’t even realised he’d been craving all this time. Perhaps Isak had been naïve, thinking that he could stave off the biological need for a mate but he had been hellbent that he wasn’t one of _those_ Omegas. Now, all he wanted was to have Even on top of him, _inside_ him, his knot filling him to the brim.

“Isak,” Even groaned, burying his face in Isak’s shoulder. “Whatever you’re thinking about, _stop!_ ”

Isak let out a laugh – it was totally _not_ a giggle – pressing up against Even, accidentally on purpose making their erections brush against each other. He could feel Even snuffling against his neck, the gentle flick of his tongue on the sensitive skin of his throat. Isak hummed in contentment, trailing his fingers through Even’s thick hair.

“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up,” Even mumbled, his voice scent-drunk and drowsy.

“It’s not a dream,” Isak whispered in his ear. “I promise.”

 ***

Even let out a soft, honest to God whine at Isak’s words, his heart hammering. Never had he had someone be so tender to him, like he was something precious that needed to be taken care of him. But now, he was drinking in Isak’s scent, basking in the _domesticity_ of the situation; standing in the kitchen, coffee cups by their sides, holding each other like nothing else mattered.

“It’s weird,” Isak murmured, breaking away from Even slightly. “I’ve known people for years and never really known them. Then I meet you, and I feel like I’ve known you forever.” Even gave him a half-smile, rubbing circles into the back of Isak’s hand.

“I’ve got so much more to tell you before we do anything,” he admitted, swallowing back the lump that had risen in his throat. Isak nodded, lacing their fingers together.

“We’ve got time,” Isak said, glancing at the clock. “Though maybe not tonight; it’s quite late for deep, philosophical conversations.”

Even nodded, turning around to scout the flat for his coat.

“You can stay,” Isak said quickly. And when Even turned back to look at him, he could see that Isak’s cheeks were stained pink at the sudden declaration. “I mean…I have a spare room. It’s just…it’s late and it’s dark and-”

Even rather enjoyed seeing the change from cool, sexy Isak to bashfully shy Isak – it was as though Even was privy to the many faces of Isak Valtersen, a secret that not many got to share.

“I’d like that,” Even breathed. Isak smiled in relief, putting the cups into the sink and leading Even down a short corridor. Even could remember his family home having spare rooms, for visitors they never had. In retrospect, the house had probably been bought with the intention of having more children, but with his parents always working, the hypothetical siblings just never appeared. Instead, Even had had to make his own fun, and the fun he had found had come with great costs.

“The sheets are clean; the last person who stayed over was Eva and that was…months ago,” Isak said, pushing a door open and revealing a room that was almost as big as Even’s _apartment_. It was bland like the rest of the flat but the bed looked comfy and it was only then that Even remembered that he had done a 12-hour shift beforehand.

“Dirty sheets are something I can live with,” Even said jovially. “Thanks!” Even crossed the threshold, and Isak hesitated, his hand on the doorframe. The invitation was on the tip of his tongue; Even would fucking _love_ Isak to sleep with him. In a platonic sense. Something told him that Isak was the sort of guy who was in it for the long run, and not just a quick fuck.

But he didn’t want to _rush_. He had missed out on such huge milestones while he had been in prison. Now? Now he had all the time in the world to catch up and he wasn’t going to ruin any potential relationships with Isak if he could help it.

“I’ll see you in the morning then,” Isak said softly, pushing away from the door. He went to turn, only for Even to take leave of his senses and grab his wrist, pulling him in for a bruising kiss. His hands cupped the Omega’s face, nipping at his lower lip with vigour. When eventually pulled away, he felt giddy with excitement, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

“See you in the morning,” Even said quietly, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Red-faced and jelly-legged, Isak disappeared, closing the door behind him. Triumphant, Even jumped backwards onto the bed, groaning softly as the mattress sank under his weight, as though he was lying on feathers.

And if he heard Isak jerking off in the shower and came at the sound of the Omega moaning his name?

Well, that was Even’s business.


	8. "What's wrong with me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally have no idea where this chapter came from. This was so not what was in my head when I starting writing. Oh well. Guess we'll just have to go where it takes us.

The next morning, it took Isak a moment to remember why he felt so fucking happy. He had slept in the centre of the bed, curled around one of his larger pillows, hugging it to his chest. And from the amount of drool that had pooled beneath him, it had been one of his more successful sleeping experiences.

Beyond his closed door, he could hear the rattle of dishes in the kitchen and the smell of _bacon_ filled his nostrils, the scent only bettered by the smell of Even. Grinning to himself, Isak pulled himself from the comfort of his bed and tugged on a pair of sweatpants. When he opened the door, he could hear the radio playing quietly and as he made his way towards the kitchen, his heart swelled at the gentle croon of Even’s voice singing along to the music.

Isak indulged himself in the sight in his kitchen – one that he hadn’t ever realised he _needed_ in his life. Even was dressed in yesterday’s clothes, navigating his way between the hob and the oven in a way that Isak could never do in his entire life, the exact reason he lived on takeout.

He was just revelling in the way the t-shirt Even was wearing pulled taut against his biceps when the Alpha turned around, jumping at the sight of Isak.

“Warn a guy, would you?!” he exclaimed, almost dropping the toast rack (Jesus, when had Isak landed up with _that_?). Isak tried to hide the small smile that had crept onto his face, taking a seat at the small table in the kitchen.

“Sorry,” he offered. “It’s been a while since someone cooked breakfast for me.”

“Who said it was for you?” Even teased, loading two plates with an infinite amount of food and setting one down in front of Isak. “I went to the store. Thought I’d repay you for the bed.”

“If you’re going to cook every time you stay over, you can move in,” Isak said breezily, taking a mouthful of bacon. Even merely smiled, sitting down across from Isak and beginning his own plate. They sat in silence for a moment, both men making quick work of their breakfast.

It was unlikely that Even had realised it, with him seemingly having missed out on a critical period of Alpha development – whoever had thought that was a good idea, ought to have been shot in Isak’s brutal opinion – but the process of providing for a prospective mate was one that Isak was familiar with. Not that he would divulge that with Even. Hopefully, there would be ample time to teach him about his dynamic, seeing as no-one else had entertained the notion.

Why on earth would someone want to know how their basic biology worked?

But Isak didn’t want to ruin the domesticity of it, or wipe the happy expression that Even wore at the idea of Isak enjoying the meal.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Isak said happily, leaning back in his seat. “I’ll get the dishes in a bit.” Even chuckled.

“You’re welcome. I’ve missed cooking to be honest; I used to do a lot of it when I was younger,” he explained. “What with my parents being away.” Isak’s heart broke a little bit at the image of a young Even trying to sustain himself, his mother and father not caring about the wellbeing of their son.

“When are you next working?” Isak asked, glancing at the clock hanging over in the living room. He was due in that evening, for an overnight shift that would probably see him getting home tomorrow afternoon.

“I’ve got the day off,” Even replied with a lopsided grin. “Do you want to do something?”

“I start at 1400,” Isak groaned – he did _not_ whine (and if he did, it was a particularly manly whine). Even looked slightly put out at that. “But until then, yeah, we could do something?”

Even’s face split into a grin before he faltered.

“Shit, I have a meeting with my probation officer.”

Isak nodded, trying to appear as understanding as possible. He _did_ understand and he wanted Even to know that he didn’t particularly care about him having to see the probation officer, but Even looked thoroughly embarrassed and miserable about the prospect.

“Give me your number,” Isak said, putting his hand out. “I’ll text you when I know when I get finished or have a break. We could have coffee.” Isak tried to push the image of the _last_ time they had had coffee out of head because it was _so_ not appropriate to have a raging bonder at breakfast time.

Even fished about in his pocket before producing a basic, brick-like phone that Isak presumed he had owned before he had gone to prison. He slowly read out his number before inputting Isak’s.

“I’ll go get dressed and then we could go for a walk?” Isak suggested, getting to his feet and stretching. He tried not to feel smug at the expression on Even’s face at the sight of his lean body being exposed, maybe spending a _little_ more time stretching than entirely necessary. “Do you want to borrow some clothes?”

“That, um, would be great,” Even stumbled, raking a hand through his haphazard quiff. Isak beckoned him towards his bedroom, pushing the door open and going towards his drawers. He hadn’t realised Even had stopped until he heard a choked noise. When Isak turned, he was faced with a stressed-looking Even, his eyes bleeding red and his hand clasped to his nose.

“I can’t-” Even spluttered, backing out of the room. “I’ll wait in the lounge.” The Alpha all but _ran_ from the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him, leaving a confused Isak standing in the middle of his room.

The happiness of that morning evaporated immediately. Was his scent _that_ repulsive to Even? He hadn’t minded it last night! Isak’s shoulders sagged noticeably, fishing Even out some clothes dejectedly before dressing himself in jeans and a hoodie. God, this was what he got for trying to _invest_ something in an Alpha. And apparently it didn’t matter that Even was an honest to God good person – Isak was still, obviously, not enough.

Tiny insecurities – ones that Isak had thought he had silenced years before – began to chip at his head. Sighing, Isak pulled his door open, half-expecting for Even to have left. Instead, the other man was standing in the middle of his lounge, his eyes back to their dreamy blue and his hands clutching a glass of water.

“There you go,” Isak said, trying desperately not to sound as bitter as he felt. He tossed them onto the sofa, before moving towards the kitchen to do the dishes. He didn’t think he could make eye contact with the Alpha right now.

“Isak,” Even croaked, not making any move to get the clothes. “Come back.”

“I get it,” Isak mumbled, starting to run the tap. “I know how incompatibility works-”

“It smelt _good_ ,” Even exclaimed. Isak looked up just in time to see Even swallow, wringing his hands nervously. “Too good. I-I wanted to…” His cheeks flushed pink, his meaning clear even if he couldn’t find the words.

Euphoric though he was at the knowledge his scent _didn’t_ revolt Even, Isak’s brows pulled together.

“How old were you when you presented?” Isak asked slowly, drying his hands. Even shrugged, biting into his lip.

“It was after I was sentenced,” he mumbled. “I must have been seventeen, I think.”

“Have you ever had a rut?” Isak asked bluntly, turning his PC attitude off and switching into doctor mode.

Even shook his head.

“W-Why?”

Isak sank onto the sofa, rubbing his face with his hands.

“Even, you need to see a doctor. A specialist.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Even asked sharply, leaning back at the mention of a doctor. “I’m not sick.”

“Alphas need to have at least one rut before they’re put on suppressants,” Isak explained, feeling so much sorrow for what Even must have gone through for the first few months after his presentation. “It means that their bodies have developed fully and their hormones have settled properly. The _right_ hormones can be suppressed without damaging the body.” Isak shook his head in disbelief.

“Your suppressants,” Isak continued. “How long have you been on them?”

“They got changed when I was released,” Even replied. “Before, I was on prison-regulated ones. I don’t know the name of them. Hans – my probation officer – would probably know. He writes the prescription for my new ones.”

“A _probation officer_ writes your prescriptions?” Isak demanded incredulously. There had to be something sinister going on. No _reputable_ law enforcement agency would have someone other than a doctor prescribe pharmaceuticals, no matter the circumstances. “Even, you need to come in and see one of our Alpha-specialists.”

“But I don’t _understand_ what’s _wrong_ ,” Even insisted. “They _work_. I don’t get my ruts, I don’t react to scents, I don’t _act_ like an Alpha-”

“You just had a huge reaction to my scent!” Isak argued. “That isn’t a _healthy_ reaction to a high concentration of scent, Even! An Alpha of your age should be able to effectively deal with things like that.”

“I’m not a freak, Isak,” Even said cagily, his expression sour.

Isak got to his feet quickly, standing in front of the Alpha before he could stop himself. His hands cupped Even’s face, searching his face desperately.

“You’re not,” Isak breathed. “But I think someone has done something very wrong to you and I _can’t_ let it continue, okay? Go to your probation meeting and continue to take the tablets – I don’t know what the withdrawal will be like – but I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” Isak pressed his lips to Even’s forehead, pulling him into a tight hug.

For a moment, Even froze before relaxing into the embrace, pressing his nose into Isak’s scent gland. Isak breathed deeply, his eyes flashing gold in anger for Even momentarily. He had a funny feeling that whoever had been effectively _poisoning_ Even had something to do with Even’s past, and he was determined that he would find out who.


	9. "I would hate to kill someone in the medical profession."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Uni happened, then work happened and suddenly we've hit August and I've posted a chapter that's been three months in the making. Hopefully the next one will appear sooner!

“Are you legally allowed to prescribe my suppressants?” Even shot at Hans, his eyes narrowed as he watched the man scribble on a piece of paper. Hans looked up, surprise crossing his features before his expression went neutral.

“Yes, Even, I don’t think the government would be illegally handing out suppressants.” Hans chuckled, shaking his head. “Why?”

Even shrugged, trying to seem as blasé about the entire predicament. Ever since he had left Isak’s apartment, his brain had been whirring and thinking about his years in prison, about the drugs they had plied him with to keep him complying and subdued. Never once had he enquired what they were pumping into his body, which he now felt foolish about.

“Just…working in a hospital. Made me think.”

Hans made a non-committal noise, nodding his head as he passed over Even’s prescription.

“How’s your week been?”

Even’s teeth sunk into his lower lip; he didn’t want to tell Hans about Isak, as though the Omega was a prize he wasn’t willing to reveal. He wanted to keep Isak as far away from his past as he could, and if that involved not telling his probation officer about him then so be it.

“Alright. Same old. Go to work, mop up sick, go home,” Even said blankly. “That’s about it.” Over the years, Even had become a master liar. It wasn’t so difficult to kid people into believing what they wanted to believe. He’d done it with the prison psychologist; told her what she had wanted to hear, and she’d signed him off sane enough to continue his sentence in the same facility.

The alternative sounded much, much worse.

“Any ideas about what you want to do after your rehabilitation ends?” Hans asked him, making eye contact. “Moving on from this place?”

“I like it here.”

“Really? Hospital porter your calling, is it?”

“I never had a chance to find my calling,” Even snapped heatedly, his head throbbing. “So no, I don’t know what I want to do when six months is up. Are we done?” He got to his feet, pushing his chair back, rubbing the back of his head.

Hans frowned at him, also standing up.

“Do you think we should up your suppressants, Even? Just as a short-term precaution. We wouldn’t want you to take a trip to the Facility.” Even stiffened, his fingers clenching into fists. The threat of the Facility made his heart hammer and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It was always used as a warning, a permanent threat to curb bad behaviour in prison.

Many who went to the Facility, never came back.

“Fine,” Even said stiffly. “Up my dosage.” He waited for Hans to write another prescription, praying that Isak could work up what they were doing to his body before any more talk of the Facility came back.

“Here we go. The pharmacy will do the rest.” Hans smiled at him, but Even noticed that it did not quite meet the other man’s eyes and there was none of the warm goodbye that was normally given at the end of Even’s session.

As Even stepped out onto the pavement, he felt for his phone in his pocket, firing Isak a quick text to let him know he was done with Hans. Knowing that he was unlikely to get a reply until much later, Even started to walk home, holding the prescription tight in his hand. The piece of paper felt like a noose around his neck, suffocating him, a lead weight that was trying to drag him down.

At that moment, the only thing Even knew as true was his relationship with Isak, and that scared the shit out of him. The knowledge that his only truth depended on another person, despite the fact that it was Isak, was something that made his insides turn.

He had thought his life was on the up. That everything was changing for the better. Now, he was surrounded by liars who had apparently been dosing him with illegal drugs as part of his punishment for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Even was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he hardly even noticed the other person approach him until he was being pushed up against an alley wall, a hand tight around his throat. A snarl rose within him and his eyes fought against the dots that were quickly appearing before his eyes at the lack of oxygen.

“Ah, ah, ah, down boy.” A cruel smile crept its way onto a hallowed, beard-covered face, salt and paper hair framing an awkwardly bent nose and mottled skin. But it was the eyes that had Even paling – those icy blue eyes with the penetrating stare, the malicious intent behind them quite visible. They were eyes that had seen murder and torture and terror.

And they had been the eyes that had watched from the shadows as Even had been carried into a police car and sentenced to do time for crimes that were not his.

“How is life on the outside, Kid?” Lars Holsen asked spitefully, his thumb digging into Even’s windpipe. Even’s breaths came in heavy, short gasps, knowing better than to tap into the fight or flight instinct that was biting at the back of his head.

“You’ve remembered your manners,” Lars chuckled, suddenly releasing his grip on Even’s neck. “Good boy.” Even stumbled, holding the front of his throat in shock as he tried to get his breath back. In front of him, Lars stood tall and calm, wearing the expensive jeans, dark boots and smart shirt that he had always worn.

Once Even had managed to remember how to breathe, he straightened, his back against the wall as he eyed the other man warily, his neck still throbbing from the assault.

“I hope you enjoyed the settling in period I gave you,” Lars said, another smile forming on his face. “Back to business now, Even.”

“I’m not going back,” Even spat furiously, drawing himself up to his full height. “I am _done_.”

A change of expression flitted across Lars’ rather blasé face, something that resembled a mixture of fury and fear, before it disappeared.

“Ah, you thought that selling out our _friends_ gave you an _out_ , did you?”

Before Even could even begin to anticipate what was going to happen, Lars’ knee connected with his groin, sending white hot pain shooting through his body. Fingers fisted into his thick hair, wrenching back his head and forcing him to look into those cold, calculating eyes.

“You wanted in, kid,” Lars hissed, grinding his boot down on the thin material of Even’s shoes, crushing his toes. “And we’re not very happy about you sending shit our way. So I’ve got a proposition for you.”

The grip on his hair tightened, and Even let out a groan of pain as he struggled to keep his eyes open. The pain in his groin was spreading, his stomach cramping.

“You’ll go back to being my errand boy,” Lars said evenly, his voice entirely calm and placid, as though he was merely having a conversation about the weather. “And in return, I’ll make sure that no stray bullets make their way into your pretty doctor’s head.”

It was as though someone had tipped a bucket of ice over Even’s head. _Isak_. _He meant_ Isak _._

“No-”

“I would _hate_ to kill someone in the medical profession,” Lars drawled, “especially when they’re a pretty little Omega.” His face darkened, dark brows pulling together as he sent Even a steely smile. “But I’m sure we could put him to good use, should you not wish to comply with my wishes.”

Even thought he was going to be sick. His stomach churned, instincts screaming to push away from Lars and protect what was his. Instead, those instincts, dulled and almost extinguished by the sheer force of the suppressants in his systems, did nothing more than tap at Even’s conscious. Instead, Even nodded shakily, body compliant purely because it was what he was familiar with. But now, with someone else to think about, there was no way Even could tell Lars no.

“Good to see you, kid,” Lars said breezily, dropping him to the ground and stepping over Even’s crumpled form. “I’ll be in touch.” With that, Lars turned the corner, leaving a quivering Even on the ground.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, fear gripping at his chest, but Even was very much aware of the chill in his body that had nothing to do with the cool morning. What was he going to _do_?

***

Isak’s shift had been full-on from the start. He had been called in early because of a major RTC involving a bus full of kids, and was dead on his feet by the time he sat down eight hours later, exhausted but triumphant that no children had died from the collision. Sure, it had been touch and go with a couple of them and life-changing injuries had been sustained but at least they had been _alive_.

So when he had _finally_ had a chance to check his phone, he was disappointed to find that there were no texts from Even. Dejected – although he would never admit this – Isak scrolled through a news article on the crash, frowning at the pictures of the trashed bus; an oil tankard had gone into the side of it.

“I’m exhausted,” Eva sighed, flopping into the seat next to him. “Three pre-ops, one flatline and the Harvey kid ate a bag of candy, _despite_ being nil by mouth.” She looked at him, eyebrow arching.

“How’re the kids?”

Isak nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“It’s going to be a long road for some of them, but I think most of them are out of the woods.”

“It was a bad one,” Eva agreed, shaking her head. “Can you imagine getting that call? To say your kid’s been in an accident?”

Something in Isak’s stomach rolled, and he had to grip onto the armrest of his chair to stop himself whimpering. His heat must be due; that was the only reason his Omega status would be rearing its head so blatantly, flaunting its weakness towards children.

Eva seemed to have noticed his involuntary action, raising her eyebrow.

“You sure you should be at work?”

“It’s not due for another few weeks,” Isak shot back. “I’m fine.” Eva rolled her eyes, obviously not believing him but smart enough not to question him further. There had been many a time they had come to blows over his heat schedule, namely Isak cutting corners when it came to staying off work until the entirety of his heat had finished.

Once the worst had passed, surely it was okay to return to work, right?

There was no need to take the obligatory _two weeks_ off.

“I worry about you, Isak,” Eva said quietly. “You work too hard.”

“No, I don’t,” Isak scoffed, pulling his phone out to check it once more.

**EVEN: come over?**

Isak’s heart surged, all of the stress of the day slipping from his body. Strictly speaking, his shift was long over; providing there were no new emergencies, he was free to go to Even’s immediately. And yet still he hesitated – for longer than he wanted to admit, this hospital had been his life. It seemed odd having a reason to go home, a motivation to get finished on time.

Perhaps it was foolish of him; to invest so much thought in a relationship that didn’t even have a label. All he knew was the rush in his chest and the pounding in his head whenever he thought about Even’s smile, or his laugh, or anything about him really.

Which was why he quickly stowing his belongings into his bag, slamming his locker shut with triumph and hurrying quickly out of the building. It didn’t take long for him to reach Even’s part of the city, his cheeks flushed from the speed walk he had done from the hospital. Isak’s heart was pounding from the exertion and he stood at the bottom of Even’s building trying to catch his breath.

He was really going to have to start going to the gym.

Jabbing his thumb against the buzzer, Isak waited – bouncing on the soles of his feet – until he heard the lull of Even’s deep voice answer.

“Isak?” Except there was an undertone to Even’s voice that made Isak frown. A vulnerability that he had not expected from the other man. And from that one word – _his name_ – Isak could tell that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

“Ja,” Isak murmured. “Buzz me in?”

Even complied and Isak wrenched the door open, practically flying up the stairs. Already, Even was standing in the doorway, his eyes red-rimmed and his face pale. He was wearing an old hoodie, holes in the sleeves where Even had poked his thumbs through. The older man looked shaken, his hair on end as though he had been dragging his hands through it.

“Wha-” Isak started, shaking his head in disbelief.

“So this is sort of heavy as far as first dates go,” Even said, his voice shaking slightly, “but I think I might be in trouble.”


	10. "You're beautiful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this thing where, when I'm in an airport, I have to write smutty chapter. Is this a medical condition?

Even looked wretched. It had been less than twelve hours and there was no sign of the same man Isak had had in his kitchen that morning. Instead, sitting in front of him, was a pale, tired-looking shell of a boy, who looked as though he had the whole world on his shoulders.

“We should go to the police,” Isak said finally, his elbows rested on Even’s tiny table. “Surely-”

“Isak, Lars has eyes and ears everywhere,” Even replied, voice strained.

“What…is he going to ask you to do?” Isak asked hesitantly, slightly scared of the answer he was about to be given.

“You can never know with Lars,” Even replied bitterly, staring at the ground. “Drugs, debts, laundering…he’s got fingers in a lot of pies.” It was a weak attempt at a joke, and neither of the men laughed, the silence stretching between them.

“I thought I was free,” Even breathed, closing his eyes. “I thought it was all over.”

Immediately, Isak was scraping his chair across the floor so that he was right in front of Even. He took the Alpha’s hands in his own, pressing his forehead against Even’s.

“It will be over,” Isak said vehemently. “We’ll sort it.”

Even let out a tired laugh, looking at Isak wearily.

“We hardly know each other, Isak; I can’t ask you to do that.”

It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did; they _did_ hardly know each other, Even was right. But in such a short space of time, whatever connection they had, had become all consuming. Isak was constantly wrapped in thoughts of Even that he couldn’t remember life before him.

“You’re not asking,” Isak replied firmly, eyes flashing gold. “I’m telling you. We. Will. Sort. It.”

Even’s eyes flashed red in response, a small growl escaping his lips in reaction to a strong-willed Omega. Isak rubbed their noses together, lips pulling into a genuine smile, the warm feeling of Even’s breath making his cheeks pink. For a moment, they stayed there, Even with his eyes closed and Isak’s own flitting over every feature of the other man’s face; his chiselled jaw, the light dusting of freckles across his cheeks and nose, the thick eyelashes that framed beautiful eyes.

“Thank you,” Even whispered, his eyes still closed.

Isak said nothing, merely closing the space between them and pressing their lips together in a tentative kiss. Even’s lips were ragged and uneven, hours of chewing at them making the skin chapped and sore. Isak ran his tongue along them, as though he could soothe the pain. When Even’s lips parted, and his tongue met Isak’s, the latter let out a soft moan.

Isak felt long fingers trap themselves in his unruly curls, pulling closer to Even until he was no longer on his seat and instead in the Alpha’s lap. It sent a thrill through him when he felt the prominent bulge in the front of Even’s sweatpants and without thinking, he ground his hips against it, pressing his own excitement against the swell.

Even groaned loudly, one of his hands slipping from Isak’s hair and running its way down to cup Isak’s ass, pulling the Omega closer still.

Panting, Isak broke away slowly, his forehead pressed against the other man’s and a thin film of sweat clinging to his flushed cheeks. Even let out a small huff of laughter, his own breathing just as laboured.

“Is this okay?” Isak whispered, tracing the hollow of Even’s cheek with his thumb. The Alpha nodded, his eyes flitting downwards in an attempt to lose the Omega’s gaze.

“I’ve…I was in prison when-” Even stuttered, his cheeks flaring violently. Isak had a suspicion that the sudden colour was _nothing_ to do with their kiss. He searched Even’s face uncertainly, alarm bells ringing in his head.

“What?” Isak breathed, gently pressing two fingers below Even’s chin and tilting his head upwards.

“I’ve never…” Even’s voice fell away but the meaning was clear.

“You’ve never had sex?” Isak voiced, trying to keep the surprise from his voice. Even let a mortified groan, burying his face in Isak’s shoulder. Trying to keep the smile from his face, Isak stroked the back of his neck, kissing over his lover’s hair.

“I don’t mind,” he told him lightly. “I quite like that your virginity will be mine.”

Even’s head shot up, his eyes bright red and his scent lustful. Isak’s smile escaped, turning into a gleeful grin. The other man picked him up, carrying him over to the bed in two quick steps and depositing him in the centre of it. Isak gripped the front of Even’s hoodie, pulling the Alpha between his splayed legs and capturing his lips once more. He fumbled with the bottom of the offensive clothing, tugging it upwards and over Even’s head.

When Isak pulled his lips away – with every intention of ravishing Even’s now-exposed torso – he stopped suddenly, staring at the sight in front of him.

Dark scars covered the majority of Even’s stomach and chest, criss-crossing over each other in varying sizes and thickness. Some were old – white and raised – while others still retained the dark red appearance that suggested that they were only months old.

As though he had realised Isak was looking at, Even began to pull away. But Isak put his hands in Even’s hair, pulling him back.

“You’re beautiful,” he told him simply.

Even let out a slightly watery laugh, pressing his lips to Isak’s neck, sucking and nipping at the skin there. Arching slightly, Isak’s fingers snaked down the relatively smooth expanse of skin, fingertips dancing around Even’s belly button before running his thumb down his treasure trail teasingly slow. He revelled in the sharp intake of breath that he drew from the Alpha, smirking at the huffing breaths that were being made against the juncture of his neck.

He wanted this to be good for Even. He _needed_ this to be good for Even.

Isak hooked his thumbs into the waistband of the sweatpants, drawing them down slowly and taking the time to knead his fingers against the briefs covering – not for long – Even’s rather fantastic ass. The Alpha’s length sprang from the confines of the thick material, tenting the front of the briefs. A small whimper slipped from Isak’s parted lips at the thought of something that _big_ inside of him, trying to remember to keep his head about him, despite the fact he _knew_ his eyes were flicking between their normal colour and the gold that shone whenever the Omega inside him got too strong.

He thumbed the head of Even’s dick, using his other hand to tweak at the other man’s nipples.

“Jesus,” Even hissed, but he pushed his chest into Isak’s fingers regardless.

“Not quite,” Isak murmured, finally tugging Even’s briefs down over his muscled thighs, flinging them across the room.

However, Isak was the one to blaspheme when he saw Even’s member; the thick, purpled head was throbbing with the need to release, curving upwards towards the chiselled planes of Even’s stomach.

“So big,” Isak said softly, pressing his lips to Even’s ear. “Such a big, strong Alpha.”

Even growled, meeting Isak’s gaze with red eyes. Before Even could do anything however, Isak used the element of surprise to flip them over, so that Even was lying on his back, slightly shellshocked from the sudden movement. But Isak smiled knowingly, settling himself between Even’s thighs, his vision of the Alpha split by the sheer size of his cock.

As soon as Isak dragged his tongue up the length of Even’s member, the Alpha was putty in his hands. Even arched, breathless words escaping his mouth. Isak looked up at him, engulfing Even in the wet heat of his mouth, rubbing his tongue against the head. He could vaguely hear the Alpha groaning, but Isak closed his eyes, sucking Even’s dick as though it was the tastiest lollypop he’d ever had between his lips.

He bobbed his head, all the while rubbing and massaging the slickened skin with his tongue. Isak’s hand found Even’s balls, fondling them.

 _Fertile. Ripe. Breed_.

Isak moaned around Even, trying to keep his own thoughts at bay.

 _This was for Even_.

He felt the fingers card themselves in his hair, causing Even’s cock to hit the back of Isak’s throat as the Alpha fucked the Omega’s mouth slowly.

“Isak, I’m going-”

Even’s words were lost as he let out a snarl, cum shooting from him and filling Isak’s mouth. The latter swallowed smugly, kissing the quickly deflating length and sitting up on his knees, smiling softly at the sight in front of him.

Even looked blissed out – his hair was on end and sweaty, his cheeks flushed pink and his reddened lips parted in post fuck enjoyment. It struck Isak how different the other man looked like this, no longer held together but completely free and uninhibited.

Isak made the resolution there and then that he would take it upon himself to ensure that Even would have many more moments like that.

It was his civic duty afterall.


	11. "You're an Angel"

Even stared at the sleeping man beside him, his heart hammering and his blood fizzing. Every inch of him was on alert, the slightest change to Isak’s breathing making his own hitch. He had _not_ been expecting the impromptu blow job. But the memory of Isak’s lips around his shaft had his groin stirring at the sheer thought, and he quickly tried to shake it.

The light streaming through his shitty blinds made the gold in Isak’s hair glint, his curls falling over his pale face and brushing his nose.

He had never thought he would get this. This was a side of domesticity that he had thought about – and promptly pushed away – when he was in the detention centre. Even wasn’t stupid – he had read hundreds of books while he was put away – but he never thought he would get to experience the rush of feelings that appeared whenever he thought of Isak. Was this what it felt like to be in love?

He knew the surgeon could do better. Isak could be with someone educated and normal and without all the baggage. But for some bizarre, unknown reason, he had chosen _Even_ as a worthy partner. And even after finding out that his biology had been fucked with, Isak was still interested, still fighting for Even to get the best out of his life.

So yeah, maybe Even was in love.

His parents had never really demonstrated what could be termed a “healthy” relationship. His mother had had affairs that both Even and his father had been aware of, but for some reason (perhaps out of obligation for her son) she kept coming back to the family home. Well, he described the house as that loosely; they had never been there more than a week together before his parents were different ends of the country, or even out of it.

No, sad little Even Bech Næsheim, the kid who had all the money but none of the love. And as for the dynamics of Alpha, Beta and Omega, both his parents had been Betas, and he had never really had much to do with Alphas.

Until he met Lars.

Lars, with his strong presence and his imposing stature, who had taken Even under his wing to show him what being an Alpha “really meant”. Except, Even wasn’t interested in the killing, the drugs and the beatings – in fact, at thirteen years old, it had scared him. But Lars had given him a place to belong. He was no longer the lonely, lost teenager he had been – _someone_ had wanted him.

Then, when he was fifteen, Lars had _let_ him go to that place. Where they’d fed him pills and stole the fight from him. And now he was damaged goods, unable to act like a real Alpha, lacking the control someone his age should have.

His heart sank at the thought of what that would mean for his relationship with Isak in the long term.

If there was a long term.

Suddenly, Isak began to stir, making a small moaning sound as he pressed his face into the pillow. Even smiled faintly, watching as the other man came to consciousness. Isak looked around in confusion before he laid eyes on Even. For a moment, Even thought that Isak was going to say last night had been a mistake. However, Isak reached out, lacing his fingers through Even’s and smiling.

“Morning,” he croaked, wriggling around so that he was facing Even. His cheeks were flushed with sleep and Even couldn’t really believe that he wasn’t dreaming.

“Hey,” Even murmured. “Coffee?”

“Mmm,” Isak groaned appreciatively, starting to sit up. “Please.” Then, feeling brave, Even pressed a chaste kiss to Isak’s lips, which Isak enthusiastically returned, cupping the back of Even’s head gently.

When they broke away from each other, Even was wearing a goofy grin and his own cheeks were flushed. Which he totally managed to hide as he busied himself with making coffee.

Totally.

“You sleep okay?” Even asked, boiling the kettle.

“Yeah, yesterday was a long day,” Isak replied, letting out a small yawn. “Big crash.”

“Shit,” Even murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bed and passing Isak a mug. “Anyone…Was everyone-”

“No, they were all alive when I left last night,” Isak answered, cradling his coffee cup. “I’m hoping that’s still the case when I head back in.”

“And when’s that?” Even asked, hoping that he wasn’t sounding as desperate as he felt.

“Well, you’ve got me for the whole day today, providing that nothing catastrophic occurs!” Isak said brightly, grinning at Even. “Apparently I’m over my limit for hours.” He made a face and rolled his eyes.

“You do seem to spend a lot of time there,” Even reasoned, sipping his own coffee. Isak shrugged his shoulders together, looking down into his drink.

“It makes me sound like a complete loser, but the hospital’s really the only thing I have,” he mumbled. “My best friend, Jonas, is at a hospital at the other side of the country. I’ve known Eva since medical school, my other friend, Sana, she’s got this shit hot research job in Germany. My friends from high school are all doing their own thing.” Isak looked sad at this, and Even realised that he might not be the only one who was feeling alone.

Even nodded, saying nothing.

“So that’s my sad little life,” Isak laughed weakly. “Did you wanna- Hey! I have an idea!”

Even quirked his eyebrow in surprise.

“Um, okay?”

“Jonas is a Dynamics specialist! He got mis-gendered when he turned thirteen – it was super awkward and difficult – so he became a specialist. I’ll call him and ask him about the drugs you’re on. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.” Isak shook his head, taking a long drink of his coffee.

Even wasn’t quite sure what to say. He _wanted_ to find out what was going on with his body. But by consulting a doctor – a specialist, no less – made it all seem too real. What if he found out that he was completely screwed? What if he could no longer have children?

“Sorry, I shouldn’t sound so excited,” Isak said sheepishly, reaching over and squeezing Even’s hand. “I just…you deserve to put all this behind you. And I want to help.” Even lifted Isak’s hand and brushed his lips against his knuckles.

“Okay,” Even breathed. “I trust you.”

***

“Jonas!” Isak greeted excitedly as soon as his friend picked up the phone.

“Hey man,” Jonas drawled, and Isak knew he was wearing a haphazard grin, probably smoking a joint.

Jonas was probably the only doctor Isak knew that could get high and function in his job.

“You never call anymore,” Jonas accused. “What have you been up to?”

“Saving lives, breaking hearts,” Isak said brightly. “I need a favour.”

“Ah, now everything is clear.” Jonas chuckled at the other end of the phone. “What is it?”

Isak paused for a moment, suddenly realising that he would have to explain his relationship with Even, over the phone.

“I have a patient,” Isak said slowly. “And he’s been on this long-term medication. They’ve been suppressing his dynamic and he’s suddenly experiencing almost, like, a second puberty? But it’s rough, man. He can barely stand an Omega’s scent.”

“An Alpha?” Jonas clicked his tongue, and Isak could hear him typing something into a computer. “Do you know the name of the drugs?”

“They get prescribed by his probation officer. They’re blanked out.”

“That doesn’t sound illegal at _all_.”

“Do you think you could do a consult?”

“If you can hijack a consult room, I’m there. I’ve got time due anyway. Is that redhead nurse still working your department?”

Isak burst out laughing, tilting his head back. He had forgotten Jonas’s longstanding crush on Eva. His _unrequited_ crush on Eva. There had been a New Years’ Party. It had been messy. Eva had now blocked him on every social media account.

“You know her name, Jonas, don’t even try to act cool.”

Jonas let out a small groan.

“Okay, okay, how does next week sound?”

“Ja! That’s great!”

“Can you put in a good word for me?”

Isak rolled his eyes, telling his best friend that, yes, he would mention that Jonas was coming to visit and would also mention that a) he was a changed man and b) he definitely would return her texts. As he rang off, still laughing, Even exited the bathroom, naked apart from the towel hanging loosely around his hips. In this light, Isak could see the scars on his torso a lot better, and he felt his heart break all over again.

But he didn’t ask about them. When Even was ready, he would share the story of how he was mutilated. And Isak would hold him while he did, and reassure Even that he was still the most handsome man he had ever seen.

He may add in something about how sexy he was too, but that was neither here nor there.

“Jonas is going to see you next week,” Isak said, his tone light as he set his phone on the side. “Is that…okay?”

Even’s hand hovered over the drawer he was about to pull open, his scent anxious.

“Are you…You’ll come with me?”

Isak smiled faintly, standing up from where he had been sprawled on the bed and wrapping his arms around the Alpha, kissing his scent gland gently.

“Of course.”

He felt Even relax, the other man shifting slightly so that he could capture Isak’s lips with his own. Twining his arms around Even’s neck, Isak reciprocated hungrily, a thrill shooting through him when Even’s fists curled into the Omega’s t-shirt.

“You smell like me,” Even mumbled against Isak’s lips, resting their foreheads together.

Isak let out a small chuckle, bowing his head so that Even could not see the flush making its way across his cheeks.

“I, uh, borrowed a shirt,” he replied. “I hope that’s okay?” Even nodded enthusiastically, pressing his nose into Isak’s scent gland and growling slightly.

“I like it.”

Isak’s breath hitched – Even could smell him? That was new. How long had he been reacting to scents?

He was becoming immune to his suppressants. And surely nothing good could come of that while they had no idea what they were dealing with.

“What do I smell like?” Isak breathed, running his fingers through the man’s hair.

“Like home,” Even murmured, sounding young.

Isak closed his eyes, guiding Even over to the bed where he sat them down. Even looked at him through big blue eyes, his pupils slightly dilated from the impromptu kiss. Isak took him in, tilting his head to the side as he considered the Wonderland he had fallen into.

His mind flitted back to his last relationship – the year-long shit-show that had seen him nearly drop out of Med school – and realised that although Even’s background was a web of complication, that he had never felt like this before. He had never had the thrill – the _rush_ – of feelings before.

“You’re like an Angel,” Even said quietly, tracing shapes on the side of Isak’s cheek. “You make me want to live.” Isak’s eyes widened to epic proportions, heart jumping. And if that statement didn’t have his inner Omega _squealing_ then he wasn’t sure what would. He could tell he had gone red from the small smirk on Even’s lips.

“I’m not sure I’m-” Isak stumbled over the words, his gaze never leaving Even’s.

“No,” Even said firmly, cupping the back of Isak’s head.

Isak managed an embarrassed laugh, burying his face in Even’s shoulder. Even laughed suddenly, enveloping the doctor in his arms and holding him close.

It was then Isak realised that, despite the mess Even was in, he was one hundred percent, irrevocably, in love with him.


	12. "Listen, Sandra-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains talk of withdrawal and medical talk in accordance with my Grey's Anatomy qualification of medicine.

“No, Sandra, I _can’t_ stay late,” Even sighed, thankful that his back was to the receptionist, so she could not see him rolling his eyes. “I have an appointment.”

“Well, you’ll need to sort it before you go!” Sandra exclaimed, thrusting the box of files into his hands. “I put it on the list!”

Even had a headache. He was tired and stressed and had had to take a child’s body down to the morgue. He did _not_ need Sandra lecturing him on what he should and should not be doing.

“Listen, Sandra-”

“You ready to go?”

Both Even and Sandra turned around to find Isak standing in front of the desk, red scarf pulled snugly around his neck and covering the lower part of his chin. Even could see the small smirk he was wearing, evidently very aware of the little domestic he was interrupting.

“Sandra would like me to-”

“Oh no, Dr Valtersen, don’t listen to him; we’ll sort everything out tomorrow!” Sandra trilled, her voice rising several octaves. Even sucked his cheeks in, fixing Sandra with a hard “are you fucking serious?” stare before slamming the box of files down on the desk – for dramatic emphasis, obviously – and disappearing into the back office to collect his things.

When he returned, Isak was leaning against the wall, long legs emphasised by the skinniness of the jeans he was wearing. It was rare to see Isak in anything other than his work clothes, but Even was really starting to appreciate seeing the doctor in casual clothes – the skinny jeans, oversized hoodies and the tight tees were definite winners in Even’s eyes. But apparently Isak had some annual leave that he had due, so they had spent most of the week together.

“I hate that woman,” Even deadpanned as he reached Isak. “With a passion.”

Isak chuckled, pressing his lips to Even’s in greeting.

“Good thing she likes me then.”

“Ooh, you’re cold.” Even promptly rubbed their noses together, sharing his heat with the younger man. “Like you? She freaking _worships_ you!” Lacing their fingers together, Isak started to lead Even down the corridor.

“What can I say? I’m a catch,” Isak laughs, sticking his tongue out. Grinning, Even pulled him close, kissing the top of his head.

“Can’t argue with that.”

Isak hummed happily, turning up a corridor and towards one of the consult rooms. There was a warmth in the pit of Even’s stomach that had not been there ten minutes ago, and he fully attributed this to Isak.

“It’ll be fine, okay?” Isak said gently, squeezing his hand before letting it go. “Jonas is the best of the best.” Even nodded, peering through the glass in the door. The doctor behind the desk didn’t exactly _look_ like the best of the best. He looked like a bird had made a nest on the top of his head and hardly old enough to graduate high school, _let alone_ be a doctor.

“Jonas!” Isak greeted, bursting into the room without knocking. Even started at the sudden flurry of movement, following Isak inside just in time to see the nest-hair doctor – Jonas – engulf the Omega in a tight hug.

Before he could stop himself, Even let out a small, possessive growl. He blinked quietly, his cheeks going pink when he realised what he had done. Both men in front of him turned, Isak releasing his friend and going over to Even, touching over his face.

Jonas merely frowned, folding his arms across his chest.

“You didn’t tell me you were _sleeping_ with him!”

“Hey,” Isak murmured, moving Even’s face until their eyes met. “Hey, come back to me.” He kissed over Even’s face, his touch tender. A low, rumbling growl made its way up from Even’s chest, the Alpha pressing his nose into Isak’s scent gland.

“Sorry,” Even mumbled, blinking away the Alpha haze.

“It happens,” Jonas said, sticking his hand out. “Nice to meet you.” Hesitantly, Even shook it, still not quite sure what to make of the other Alpha.

“Likewise.” Even nodded, before looking to Isak for confirmation of what he should do.

“Okay, let’s see what’s screwing your hormones up!” Jonas exclaimed, flopping back onto the seat behind the desk and firing up the prehistoric computer in front of him. “Tell me about your symptoms.”

Even paused, glancing at Isak nervously, who nodded and smiled encouragingly.

“I can’t really…I can’t smell scents,” Even started. “Or I couldn’t; I’ve started to pick up some.” Even could feel his face really start to heat up as he looked anywhere bar Isak. “When I get too close to Isak.”

When Jonas said nothing, Even took it as a sign to continue.

“I’ve never had a rut? They put me on the pills before I had one.” He watched as Jonas scribbled something down. “My instincts are shot to shit, basically.”

“You got the pills?”

Isak reached into his jacket pocket, tossing the box at Jonas before sitting down in front of the desk. Even watched as Jonas examined the tablets, pushing one out of the blister pack and chipping at it with a scalpel.

“This is _definitely_ not regulated,” Jonas murmured, placing the dust underneath the pre-ready microscope. “I’ve never seen some of this colouring in suppressants before.” Jonas looked up, his thick brows furrowed. “How long have you been on these?”

“Maybe…three years?” Even shrugged. “More?”

“I’m going to have to send it down to the lab to find out what _exactly_ is in it,” Jonas told them, “and you’ll have to get bloods done. But this…where the hell are you getting these from, man?”

“My probation officer writes the script for them.”

Jonas blinked, staring at Isak.

“You’re sleeping with a guy with a probation officer?”

“Less of the judgement and more of the doctoring, thanks,” Isak replied flatly. “I didn’t call you about my love life, otherwise we’d have to chat about Eva-”

“Lalala, point taken!” Jonas tapped something into the computer, cricking his neck as he looked at the screen.

However, Jonas’s reaction to Even’s situation had made his stomach churn. It had been stupid of him not to realise it, but whatever happened between himself and Isak, people were going to judge them. Whenever they spoke about how their relationship began, there would always be the case of his spell in prison that acted as a prelude.

“So it says here, that prisons are legally obligated to give incarcerated Alphas Alresisterone to combat aggression levels,” Jonas read out, his eyes never leaving the screen, “but whatever you’ve been taking is _not_ Alresisterone and you should have been weaned off of it when you left.” He glanced up at Isak and Even. “As a suppressant, you’d commonly be given a prescription by a _doctor_ and it would most likely be Rutperzam.”

“So basically, what you’re saying, is that I’m fucked up,” Even said, his heart hammering.

“Yep!” Jonas replied brightly. “But it’s my job to find out why and how to stop it.” Funnily enough, Even struggled to return the grin Jonas was shooting him. Instead, he dropped his gaze to the floor and nodded.

“So what now?” Isak asked, taking hold of Even’s hand.

“We’re going to wean you off the drug,” Jonas said. “But it’s going to be hard. We don’t know what withdrawal will be like.”

“What sort of thing should I expect?” Even asked quickly. _Withdrawal_? He had _heard_ what withdrawal was like whilst he had been in the detention centre. He had heard men and boys alike screaming and crying out as the need to shoot up clawed at their insides and drove them insane. What if he hurt Isak? Surely he couldn’t expect Isak to stick around while his body tried to rip him apart from the inside out?

“Normally, I’d say nausea, mood swings, fatigue…” Jonas clicked his tongue, looking over at the information he’d jotted down in front of him. “But this is heavy duty stuff, man – you could be looking at severe ruts, a second puberty…I want you in for weekly blood tests at the least.”

Even leaned back, rubbing his chin nervously. Suddenly, it was all too real. He now had actual confirmation that there was something wrong with him. It made his head swim and his breathing shaky and for a moment, he felt as though he was about to descend into a panic attack.

Then arms were around him, lips resting on his head.

“I’ll go…run these down.” From far away, Even could hear Jonas muttering something to Isak and clapping him on the shoulder. The door shut and the two men were on their own, Isak gripping Even to his chest tightly.

“It’s going to be okay,” Isak breathed. “It’ll be okay.”

Even whined quietly, desperate to find Isak’s scent to uncloud his senses.

But when he could not find it, he crumpled.

 


	13. "Man. Whore."

“Is Even coming in this morning?”

Isak looked up from his notes in surprise, taking in the squat woman in front of him.

“Pardon?”

“Even. Is he coming in?” Sandra demanded. “It’s just that he didn’t finish-”

“He’s sick,” Isak told her flatly, snapping shut the file. “He won’t be in for the rest of the week.” He stormed past Sandra, not bothering with niceties. If she had only _seen_ the state Even had been in that morning… And that was _before_ he’d started withdrawal. It was only through much arguing that Isak had turned up to work himself – “There are sick kids who need their superhero, Isak.”

Isak’s morning had just gone from bad to worse after that; he’d been late, the interns who had been monitoring one of his cases had fucked up majorly and A&E was packed with patients, meaning that he was down on doctors.

This, in turn, meant that he was going to have to do rounds with _someone else’s_ interns.

Isak enjoyed teaching. He loved seeing his interns grow and develop their skills and then go onto have careers of their own. However, when he reached the gaggle of doctors standing laughing at the nurses’ station, all he wanted to do was ram the file in his hand down their throats.

“Right, walk with me,” Isak said flatly, flicking open his first file. “First patient of the day.” He pushed open one of the private doors, passing the file to the first intern to his right.

“This is Christofer Hader, 15,” the intern read out, looking down at the file. “Admitted for…” Her voice faded away, eyes darting over to the patient who was sitting on the bed. He was broad-shouldered and dark haired, his blue eyes narrowed at the group of doctors in front of him. A piece of bloody gauze was stuck to his forehead, several scratches and bruises covering his very young-looking face.

Surprised but trying not to show it, Isak could smell that the young boy was an Omega – 15 was _very_ premature for a presentation.

“I’m pregnant, you can say it,” Christofer muttered, tugging his sweater down self-consciously.

“Chris,” a voice from the door sighed. Isak looked over, taking in the lithe teenage boy standing in the doorway. He was tall – nearly the same height as Isak – and had black, thick glasses that outlined his pale blue eyes. In his hands, he held two take-away cups, plaid shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbow and displaying what looked like to be five numbers on his forearm.

Isak’s stomach rolled.

Christofer looked over at the other boy, his scowl suddenly disappearing.

“Continue,” Isak prompted, looking back to the boy in the bed, the cogs in his head whirring.

“Christofer came in after a fall down some stairs; he’s got superficial lacerations-”

“Is my baby okay?” Christofer interrupted. “That’s all I wanna know.”

“We’re going to perform an ultrasound but there’s no bleeding and Christofer doesn’t seem be having any pains,” the intern said, looking at Isak for confirmation that she was saying the right thing.

“Good! And how are you feeling otherwise, Christofer?” Isak asked. He watched as the Omega’s eyes flitted around the room, lingering on each intern’s face. Isak could recognise the boy’s discomfort, and given the way his partner was tugging down the sleeve of his shirt and trying to cover the numbers, there was something that wasn’t quite right with the predicament.

“Could you give us a minute?” Isak asked his interns. “Bring up an ultrasound machine and get some bloods done?” There were murmurs of agreement and then the scuffle of footsteps as the interns scurried off.

“Is there anyone you’d like us to call?” Isak asked gently. Christofer snorted, glancing up at the other boy, as though they were sharing some sort of private joke.

“No,” Christofer muttered. “I just want to get the baby checked and then go.”

“Chris!” the other boy exclaimed sharply. “We’re staying until we know _you’re_ okay!”

“Okay, boys, I need you to start talking or I’m going to have to start making phonecalls of my own,” Isak said firmly, slightly impressed at the use of his “grown-up voice”.

“I ran away from the Facility,” Christofer blurted out, gripping onto the sleeves of his sweater. Isak could see him starting to shake and watched in amazement as the other teenager pulled Christofer into a hug, the latter pushing his face into a _mating bite_.

It was almost unheard of for teenagers to mate this young. Sure, there were stories from abroad about premature matings but it was pretty much taboo here. But given that Christofer was already presented and pregnant, it didn’t seem like much of a leap.

“I can’t go back,” Christofer whined, folding into himself and drawing his knees to his chest the best that he could given his baby bump. “Please don’t make me go back.”

Isak could feel a lump rising in his throat – there weren’t many Facilities left in use. Glorified orphanages where children from broken homes and unmarried parents went when there was nowhere left for them to go. They were horrible places – Isak had had to treat a little girl who had a serious infection from unsanitary conditions. The close proximities and flurry of hormones led to children presenting earlier than they should. After that, the dynamics were separated – Omegas to some sort of finishing school, Alphas to the military and Betas enrolled on apprenticeships. The entire thing was fucked up and Isak was grateful that he had been old enough to live alone when his parents had died.  

“You’re not going back,” the other male growled, looking over Christofer’s head at Isak, eyes bleeding red. “Is he?”

“That sort of posturing will get you thrown out,” Isak told him coolly, flashing his own eyes. “Chill. I’m a doctor. Your health and wellbeing is my priority.”

“Alek,” Christofer said quietly. Alek narrowed his eyes at Isak before pressing his lips to the top of Christofer’s head, taking a deep, steadying breath.

“Fine. But no phonecalls.” Isak nodded his head silently, flicking through the file in his hands.

“You presented when you were thirteen?”

“Yeah,” Christofer sighed. “They transferred me to another facility after my first heat. Train me up.” There was a bitter tone to his voice, and Isak struggled to keep his face impassive at the thought of a thirteen-year-old going through a heat. “That’s where I met Alek.”

Isak frowned slightly.

“You’re from the Facility too?”

“You think they only keep Omegas there?” Alek demanded sharply. “They keep Alphas too. Shut us away and beat us and starve us until there’s only instinct left.” Alek looked away, sucking his cheeks in.

“Sorry. It’s just…We can’t go back. They’ll take the baby and separate us-”

“Look,” Isak said gently. “While you’re a patient here, you’re under our protection.” He smiled at both the boys. “Alek, I’ll need to get you checked over as well.”

“Why?” Alek asked sharply.

“Because you’re a prematurely presented Alpha, I assume.” At Alek’s silence, Isak nodded. “I need to check your hormones are balanced. You’re lucky; we’ve got a visiting Dynamic specialist here at the moment. I can get him to look at your bloodwork.”

“Thanks,” Christofer croaked. His eyes were glassy and Isak didn’t need to use his nose to know that this was a very distressed Alpha. The way Christofer gripped Alek’s hand made Isak’s heart break, and he was suddenly aware that he had to keep professional about this.

“I’ll get my interns to do the bloods and I’ll come back later, okay?” Both boys nodded.

“Thank you,” Alek said quietly, and from the tone of his voice, Isak could tell that he truly meant it.

***

Christofer and Alek stayed on Isak’s mind for the rest of the day. So much so that he found himself googling Facilities that were still in use in Norway. Funnily enough, not many results came up, making him question whether the one that the boys had been part of was even legal.

Isak frowned, glancing at his phone. He had received no messages from Even but he had put that down to the Alpha sleeping off the stress of the day before. Despite this, he found himself dialling his number, drumming his fingers against the desk.

“Hey,” came the sleepy greeting.

“Hi, baby,” Isak murmured. “How’re you feeling?” There was a low grumble and the sound of limbs cracking as Even sat up, and Isak could just imagine his boyfriend sitting there and rubbing his hair in sleep-induced haze.

“Tired,” Even mumbled. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Isak breathed. “Anything else? Nausea? Loss of appetite?”

“I haven’t really been awake enough to want any food,” Even replied, “but I feel okay.”

“Good.” Isak nodded, clicking on a link that put him through to a page about the history of Facilities.

“What’s happening today? How’s work?”

“Sandra was asking kindly after you,” Isak chuckled, skim reading the information.

“I bet she was,” Even growled.

“Wondering when you’d be back to finish your filing.”

Even sighed on the other end of the line.

“Jonas signed me off for two weeks but I could probably-”

“No,” Isak said shortly. “He said most withdrawal effects will happen within two weeks. You’re staying home so I can keep an eye on you.”

“Yes, boss.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Even laughed and the sound made Isak grin happily, glad that the Alpha had cheered up a bit.

“Look, I need to pee but I’ll see you when you’re home; I’ll cook something.”

There was a small thrill that Isak got at the implication that “home” was where he and Even both resided. That Even had adopted Isak’s apartment and unofficially moved in.

“Okay, baby,” Isak murmured. “See you soon.”

“Bye, love you.”

Even rang up, leaving Isak gaping at the phone. They had never actually said it. Sure, they showed each other everyday through the banter, the soft touches and the looks of utter adoration, but they had never verbalised it.

Isak was fucking giddy with excitement, whirling round on the spinning chair like a teenage girl in the first throws of love.

“Someone’s happy.”

Isak jumped, tumbling off the chair and smacking his head off the corner of the desk. He groaned, clutching what would be an impressive bump and looking up at the offender.

Eva stood in the doorway, arms folded across her chest.

“Smooth, Isak, smooth.” She shut the door of the office before leaning against it, her eyes narrowed.

“When were you going to tell me that Jonas was here?” she demanded, her eyes bright with irritation.

Oops.

“I just needed him to help Even,” Isak explained. “You can’t deny that he’s good at what he does.”

“I’m not arguing that!” Eva exclaimed. “You didn’t tell me! He came to consult one of the kids and I just stood there like an idiot! God, Isak…”

She flopped down on one of the comfy chairs in the office, tilting her head back.

“He’s still hot.”

“I couldn’t possibly comment.”

“Trust me, he’s still hot.”

Isak smirked, knowing that Eva wasn’t truly angry at him.

“He says he’s a changed man.”

“Man whores don’t change their spots.”

“He’s hardly a-” Isak started, but stopped when he saw the expression on Eva’s face.

“Man. Whore.”

Eva let out a dramatic sigh, closing her eyes.

“I hate him, Isak, I hate him.”

“You love him.”

He watched Eva swallow, knowing that he had hit the nail on the head. Eva and Jonas’ had a complicated love. They had met properly in med school, when they were first years. It had been a case of will they, won’t they that had lasted all the way into second year. Then, for some reason neither Eva nor Jonas wanted to divulge, they had ended up in bed together.

Eva had wanted a relationship. Jonas hadn’t.

And until the New Years’ party, Isak hadn’t really thought there was any love lost between the pair. Jonas’ false bravado in calling Eva “that nurse” was bullshit. He was as into her as she was him. Unfortunately, Isak had more pressing matters to deal with other than his best friends’ love lives.

“What do you know about Facilities?” Isak asked, deciding that changing the subject might nudge Eva from her drama.

She sat up properly, frowning.

“Facilities? I don’t know much?”

Isak made a face, rubbing his chin.

“Don’t say anything,” he sighed. “One of the kids on Ward 2 is a runaway. I’m trying to figure out what I can do to make sure the authorities don’t put him back in there.”

“God, that’s awful,” Eva said, biting her lower lip. “I know there was a detention centre that used to be a Facility.”

Isak’s blood went cold.

“What? Where?”

“I don’t know! Out of the city – I did a placement there the year that it shut down. They wanted a student nurse to look over some of the kids.”

“And these kids, what were they like? How old? What were they there for?”

Eva exhaled as she thought, resting her head on the wall behind her seat.

“All sorts, really. Theft, murder, sex crimes. When it closed down, I think the kids were transferred somewhere in the city. That’s what the management told me, anyway. It was horrible, really horrible.”

“Why?” Isak asked hoarsely.

Eva looked at him nervously.

“There was a part of the centre I was never allowed in. Maximum security, apparently. I never got to see the children who were in there.”

Isak merely nodded, a sinking feeling in his stomach. What if the Facility had never become a proper Detention Centre? And it was merely called that to cover up what was going on in there?

And what if Even had come from the very same place as Alek and Christofer?

“You’ve never told me,” Isak said softly, looking at Eva.

“It’s not really the sort of thing I want to think about,” Eva told him quietly, her face ashen. “I complained to University but by then, the centre had already shut down and there was no evidence to suggest that they were doing anything wrong.

“You think that your kid is from there?”

Isak nodded slowly.

“His mate-” Eva’s eyes widened “-is from the same Facility. Apparently they were keeping Alphas and Omegas together. I’m going to hazard a guess that that’s what was happening in “maximum security”.”

“Oh my God,” Eva choked. “Shit, Isak, we need to tell someone.”

“Eva, we have _no_ evidence apart from two scared kids who are probably not going to want to talk to the police.” _And potentially a prescription that can be traced back to the bastards, if Isak’s suspicions about Even were correct._

“What do we do?”

Isak clicked his tongue, glancing down at Christofer’s file on the desk.

“I’ll try and get the boy to talk. See if he can give anymore information about what’s been going on. Eva, if we’re right…” His voice trailed away, swallowing.

If they were right, they were about to expose a criminal underworld that was threatening the lives of dozens of homeless, orphaned children.

They both sat in silence for a moment, contemplating their discovery. Their happy, joking mood had given way to a thunderous cloud hovering over their heads, the knowledge that they were sitting on precipice of a discovery that they could not say anything about.

This silence was only interrupted by Isak’s pager going off, alerting him to an incoming trauma. He rose to his feet, looking down at Eva.

“We’ve got an emergency coming in.”

Eva nodded jerkily, standing up as well and heading towards the door. Isak snatched up the file and stuffed it into his satchel, which was sitting beside the desk. It was completely unorthodox for Isak to take information about a patient home, and it was a sackable offence.

But Isak knew that the Chief of Surgery was a misogynistic dick and would put Isak’s “forgetfulness” down to his being an Omega. Sometimes stereotypes worked in his favour, however outdated they were.


	14. "I've been craving pizza since I told a kid off for eating some when he was nil by mouth."

As soon as Even had got off the phone to Isak, he had promptly thrown up. He had managed to reach the bathroom, which in itself was a win. Unfortunately, it also meant that Even spent a good twenty minutes curled up around the porcelain throne, whining pathetically to himself.

There was a gnawing sensation in his stomach and his head was fuzzy. He had been telling the truth when he had told Isak he was feeling fine but as soon as he had stood up, all hell had broken loose on his body. 

True, Jonas had warned him about the side effects withdrawal might have on his body, but he had not been anticipating that they would kick in so quickly. Surely a day without the drugs wouldn’t cause so much damage! Hans hadn’t exactly been happy when he’d called to cancel his appointment, but for the moment, Isak had thought it would be safer to not show him the signs of withdrawal in case he reported it back to…whoever was pulling the strings.

For the most part, Even agreed; it would be hard to conceal the fact he could barely keep his head out the toilet, but there was part of him that was extremely anxious to find out _what would happen ne_ xt.

What came after this?

When would they find out what was happening to him? _Would_ they ever find out? Or would it just be a case of excepting it and moving on? Because given the large portion of his life Even had had to give up, he wasn’t sure if he could accept that as a resolution.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Even leant against the bathroom wall. God, he felt rough. Part of him wanted to pick the phone up and ask Isak to come back home to look after him. The other, more responsible, more manly and oh, so more grown up, part of him decided that he should just haul himself back into bed.

Even was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

_He dreamt of fire and torture and cages. He felt the skin on his arms twist and split as he writhed on the floor, a searing sensation piercing his stomach. He could feel the grit of the floor scraping against his bare skin, nerves exposed to a harsh air. The putrid stench of death and blood hung in the air, and Even resisted the urge to gag._

_“Isak!” he choked out, trying to lift his head. Even’s vision swam, darkness threatening to overcome him. He could just about make out a figure in the distance, their body tied against the bright silver bars of the cell. Hazel eyes stared vacantly ahead, glassy and unseeing. His lips were parted and his head was hanging at an unnatural angle, as though it had been snapped clean._

_“Isak!” Even screamed, every bone in his body splintering. He dug his fingers into the concrete, trying to pull himself towards the other man. He hardly felt the blood as his fingertips desperately clung onto nothing, everything aching as he tried so hard to reach Isak. But the amount of space between them never changed. If anything, the Omega’s body was becoming further away, disappearing into the darkness and leaving Even completely alone in his agony._

_“Isak!” Even roared desperately, thick tears streaming down his cheeks._

“Even!”

Even jerked upwards, crying out at the sudden pain that filled him at the movement. He was covered in sweat, the t-shirt he’d been wearing clinging to his chest like a second skin. Panting, he looked around, shoulders wilting as he took in the clean, warm and decidedly _not_ torturous bedroom he had fallen asleep in.

“Baby?” Even jumped when Isak’s hand touched his cheek, those hazel eyes that had been so lifeless in his dream full of concern and worry.

“Jesus.”

Even pulled Isak into a tight hug, gripping onto him as though he was likely to disappear at any moment. To his credit, Isak let himself be held, running his fingers through the Alpha’s hair in a soothing manner.

“You were dead,” Even croaked brokenly. “I tried to get to you but you were dead.”

“Shh,” Isak breathed. “It was just a nightmare, you’re safe, I’m safe.”

Even nodded, pressing his nose into Isak’s scent gland and breathing him in desperately, letting the smell of _home_ and _mate_ wash over him.

“Shall I order takeaway and we can talk about it if you want?” Isak suggested, dipping his head and kissing Even’s nose. “Or we could watch something on Netflix?”

“I, uh, I’m not really that hungry,” Even admitted, suddenly remembering the way his stomach had been before he had fallen asleep. “Guess the withdrawal’s hit.” He managed to give Isak a small, weak smile.

“What do you mean?” Isak asked sharply, drawing away and looking Even in the eye. “What’s happened?”

“I’ve just been sick.” Even shrugged. “The…dreams, I guess, might be part of it?”

Isak searched his face, eyes darting across the other man’s pale complexion. Even knew he must look like shit; no-one looked their best after a morning of throwing up and sweating all over the bed. Speaking of that-

“I’ll change the sheets,” Even said quickly, starting to get to pull himself from the bed. Isak gently pushed him back down.

“You’re not doing anything,” he told Even firmly. “If you’re going anywhere, it’s the sofa. I’ll change the sheets. You might not be hungry, but I’m staaaaarving.” Isak winked cheekily, taking Even’s hand and slowly leading him through to the lounge.

Every Alpha instinct – which was taking some getting used to – screamed that this was wrong, that it was _Even_ who should be looking after _Isak_. But he had quickly learned that Isak was not a force to be reckoned with and it was one of the reasons he loved the doctor. So, he did not protest when Isak sat him down on the sofa, tossing him a throw and getting him a glass of water and the remote.

“How was your day?” Even asked, generally interested in what Isak had done that day. But whatever had happened, made Isak freeze from where he was standing in the kitchen, looking at a menu. The Omega flushed pink, his top teeth worrying his lower lip.

“I-” Isak started, before taking a deep breath. “These kids came in. Teenagers. _Mated_ teenagers. They were- They had run away from a Facility, Even.” He looked at Even, his eyes wide. “I think they can tell us more about what happened to you.”

Even stared at him, his eyebrows dancing as he tried to take in what Isak had said. It was what he’d been hoping for, really; finding out what had happened. But now there were people who might _know_ something about his past that he didn’t and Even was _scared_ to find out the truth. If his nightmares and scars were anything to go from, his time incarcerated had been far from happy.

“Oh.”

Isak rushed over, kneeling in front of him and resting his hands firmly on the Alpha’s thighs.

“You don’t have to do anything until you’re ready, Even,” Isak murmured. “You don’t even have to meet them if you don’t want to. I can ask the questions. I mean, I don’t even know if they’ll _answer_ any questions but it’s worth a try, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“I didn’t want to tell you like that,” Isak told him weakly. “But I just- God, Even, you’ve been through so much. I just want you to find out what happened so that you can move on with your life.”

Isak seemed to hesitate.

“So we can move on with _our_ life.”

Even blinked, looking down at Isak in awe.

Isak laughed uneasily, rocking back on his heels.

“I want us to have a life together, Even,” Isak breathed. “You make me so happy, and I love you, but I want you to love _yourself_ and I don’t think you can do that with this hanging over you.”

Even stared at him, his heart hardly able to take the Omega’s admission. Something in him wanted to explode in elation, his hands shaking as he cupped Isak’s face and pressed his lips gently to his.

“I love you too,” Even murmured, rubbing their noses together. “I want everything with you.”

Isak smiled softly, breaking away and getting to his feet.

“Rest,” he said, squeezing Even’s shoulder. “I’m going to order food and we’ll have a night on the sofa. I’ll tell you more about the kids from the Facility if you want?”

Even nodded, feeling a lot more at ease now that both their cards were on the table. Kissing him once more, Isak walked back over to the kitchen area, returning with his menu and flopping onto the sofa next to Even.

“I’ve been craving pizza since I told a kid off for eating some when he was nil by mouth,” Isak told him idly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I find myself at the airport, writing Evak in the same seat I always sit at. Obviously this is a very inspirational place to sit in the departures lounge. Anyyyyyyway, I am so excited for the next few chapters. Angst is my favourite thing to write ;)


	15. "Asking you for a chart is NOT ambushing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllll, a train station this time folks! Just seem to spend my life waiting for public transport!

“You just want me to be assigned to them so I have to see Jonas,” Eva said flatly, standing at the nurses’ station with her arms folded across her chest. “You are not the matchmaker, Isak, you’re like…the anti-Cupid.”

“Whoa, are we forgetting you set me up with a would-be sexual predator?” Isak exclaimed, holding Chris’ chart in his hand. “You totally owe me!”

“That was a different situation and you know it!” Eva whined. “Isak, he’s already ambushed me-”

“Asking you for a chart is _not_ ambushing.”

“-and I don’t want to talk to him.”

“Look, Eva,” Isak rubbed his face with his free hand. “You know the most about Facilities. I need someone who knows their shit to deal with the boys. This is a really delicate situation and I don’t want to scare them off. Alek is already suspicious of everyone who goes in that room; I’ve banned my interns from going in there in case they say something wrong.”

“Your interns are idiots though,” Eva dismissed. “I had to intubate a patient for one of them.”

“Exactly.”

Eva considered him for a moment before letting out an overexaggerated sigh.

“Fine. But tell him to be professional and not to talk to me about anything other than the case.”

She turned her back and Isak rolled his eyes, triumphant that he had gotten his way as he made his way towards Christofer’s room. In the week that the boy had been there – because somehow, by complete coincidence, it had been written down that the boy was suffering from anaemia and Isak _obviously_ needed him to be kept in for observation because that was the responsible thing to do – the conversation had been stilted. The problem was that Alek was still cagey about what they had been through – whether that was through fear or stubbornness, Isak didn’t know – but Isak had decided to play a low blow this time to get him to open up.

“How’s everyone today?” Isak asked breezily once knocking on the door. He noticed Alek stiffen in the seat next to the bed but Christofer smiled sleepily from where he was curled up.

“Tired,” he mumbled, starting to sit up.

Isak nodded sympathetically, flicking through the chart at the end of the bed.

“That’s to be expected once you hit the third trimester,” he said. “Has the OBGYN been up to see you?”

Alek snorted from where he was sitting, earning him a smack on the leg from Chris.

“Shut up, Alek!” Chris turned his gaze back to Isak. “She says the baby still looks a little small.”

“Babies with male Omega parents are generally smaller; it’s to do with how they carry.” Isak smiled reassuringly. “From the notes here, the baby’s doing just fine.” Chris seemed to wilt with relief, settling back into the bed.

“Has Dr Vasquez been to see you?” Isak asked, directing the question to Alek. Not that Isak didn’t already know; there had been a lot of Alpha posturing, growls and eye flashing according to Jonas.

“Yes,” Alek replied shortly. “He gave me these.” He shook a bottle of unopened pills at Isak, his expression dark. “I told him I wasn’t taking any more drugs.”

Isak suppressed the need to sigh.

“They’re meant to reduce the mood swings, Alek,” he explained slowly.

“What mood swings?”

Both Chris and Isak looked at him pointedly, causing the young man to bow his head sheepishly.

“I’ve had opinions from doctors before,” Alek groused, “they’ve never done anything to help before.”

“I’m not sure it’s doctors you’ve been seeing,” Isak said grimly. “I’ve got reason to believe that where you’ve been kept wasn’t exactly legal.”

Chris jerked his head up, staring at Isak with huge eyes.

“What?”

Isak swallowed, taking in the earnest-looking Chris and the reserved-looking Alek.

“The Facilities you’ve been telling me about,” Isak said slowly, wetting his lips, “we think they might have been illegally run experiment labs. And that they’re housing children and young people illegally in order to…”

“Fuck up their biology,” Alek finished, gripping onto Chris’ shoulder. His cheeks were sucked in and his expression was thunderous.

“This is going to be hard,” Isak murmured, “and you’re completely within your right to say no but…I have someone who was also kept in the Facility, who wants to talk to you. He’s very confused and he can’t remember much but I’m hoping that the three of you can help get to the bottom of what’s been happening.

“And to hopefully shut them down forever.”

Chris swallowed, looking up at Alek nervously.

“It’s up to you,” Alek whispered, kissing the top of Chris’ head.

“Who is he?” Chris asked quietly.

 

***

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Even mumbled, standing in the locker room. “What if I find out something bad? Something that I can’t come back from?”

“Then we deal with it,” Isak told him firmly, tugging off his scrubs. “Look, Even, you don’t _have_ to do this. The ball is in your court.”

“No,” Even said quietly. “I want to meet them.”

Isak nodded silently, giving Even’s hand a small squeeze.

“How was Sandra this morning?”

Even made a face, glowering to himself.

“I don’t think I hate many people,” he said flatly, “but she is definitely up there. She sent me to the file room and made me put every fucking file in alphabetical order; you need to speak to your colleagues about putting things back where they’re supposed to go!”

Isak chuckled, throwing his scrubs into the washing hamper. He busied himself with putting his tie back on, checking his hair in the mirror in his locker.

“Probably the interns,” he replied. “I’ll speak to them.”

Even huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

“ _And_ she wanted to know why I was out sick.”

“Did you tell her?” Isak asked sharply, his gaze snapping to Even’s face. The Alpha shook his head, hunching his shoulders up as though he had been scolded.

“I just said I had the flu. And _then_ she went on this rant about how she still comes to work when she has the flu and still manages to get all her work done.”

“Do you want me to have a word?”

“No,” Even muttered darkly. “She’s a battle I’ll fight on my own.” Isak let out a short burst of laughter, shaking his head in disbelief at his boyfriend’s determination to take down the small, podgy woman behind the desk.

“Okay, baby, whatever you say,” Isak hummed, pressing his lips to Even’s in what was supposed to be a comforting manner. Except…Even slipped his tongue between Isak’s lips. And Isak pulled Even closer by the waistband of his uniform. And Even gripped the front of Isak’s freshly ironed shirt. And Isak fisted a hand in Even’s hair. And-

“In the locker room? _Really?_ ”

Isak jumped away from Even, his clothes ruffled and his face beetroot red. He looked to the door, eyes wide and anxious.

Jonas stood in the doorway, shaking his head with a small smirk on his face.

“Is no place sacred?”

Isak rolled his eyes, straightening his tie once more.

“Like you haven’t been sleeping with the nurses in the on-call room,” he drawled in reply, trying to distract himself from the semi he was sporting. Even raised his eyebrows questioningly, seemingly surprised by the suggestion of such a scenario. Jonas merely snorted, bowing his head.

“Thought you’d want to know that your kids in Room 13 were asking for you,” Jonas said, frowning slightly. “The Alpha’s getting antsy and the Omega’s getting stressed because of it.” Isak let out a long, low sigh. This was why teenagers did _not_ mate; the emotional immaturity of them made it difficult to balance each other out, meaning that stress would be put on both parties. Isak wasn’t surprised that Chris had ended up in hospital given how tightly wound Alek was.

“Yeah, I’m coming now.” Isak looked up at Even, his voice soft. “Are you coming?”

Even swallowed before nodding quickly, as though committing himself to a decision before he backed out. Isak smiled before following Jonas out of the locker room, walking down the hallway towards the children’s ward with Even trailing behind him.

He knocked on the door, peeping his head around the door. Chris was sitting cross-legged on the bed, bump barely visible under the huge hoodie he was wearing. He was reading a book that Isak had brought him from his own home, after Chris had admitted to him that he enjoyed reading. Alek was sat on the window sill, staring outside with a longing expression on his face.

“Hi guys,” Isak said quietly. “How’re we doing?”

Alek jumped, automatically bearing his teeth before realising it was Isak, his guard lowering slightly. Chris on the other hand, smiled at him, evidently a lot more trusting than his mate.

“We got a scan! Look!” Chris reached over to his bedside cabinet, grabbing a small picture and thrusting it into Isak’s hand. The doctor looked down, smiling faintly at the sonogram.

“Everything looks good, guys,” he said, passing it back to Chris. “You know if it’s a boy or girl?” Chris shook his head, putting the picture on his lap.

“It didn’t want to cooperate.”

Alek snorted.

“Takes after you then.”

But he smiled over at Chris. Good. Great start. Isak wanted to ease into the prospect of bringing another Alpha into Alek’s space, and having him already in a good mood was promising.

“So,” Isak began, sitting down on one of the comfy chairs next to the bed, “you know how I told you about the man who was in a Facility?” Alek stiffened, while Chris merely nodded.

“He’s here-” Alek let out a low growl “-but you don’t have to see him if you’re not comfortable.”

Much to Isak’s surprise, Chris threw a pillow at Alek’s head.

“Alek, stop being an ass!” Chris looked at Isak. “Yeah, he can come in.”

Smiling, Isak opened the door further, revealing a nervous-looking Even standing in the hallway.

“Even?” Alek said, his eyes widening. “Wh- You’re here.”

Even stared at Alek, his eyes equally as round as he took a shaky step towards the young boy. Then, without warning, Alek had flung himself into Even’s arms, both clinging to each other as though they were going to disappear at any moment. From the shaking of Alek’s shoulders, Isak could tell that the teenager was sobbing and he was pretty sure that Even was close to tears himself.

“I thought you were dead,” Alek breathed weakly, his voice muffled. “They told me you were dead.”

Even made a choking sound that could have been a laugh.

“No, still kicking.”

“Alek, what’s going on?” Chris asked uneasily, sitting upright.

Wiping at his face with his sleeve, Alek broke away, the first real smile Isak had seen from him lighting up his face.

“This is Even,” Alek said quickly, looking up at the taller Alpha. “We were in Block B together.”

Even’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Block B?”

Alek stared at him, his shoulders sagging.

“You’re the one with memory loss that Dr Valtersen was talking about,” he breathed. “Oh shit, Even.”

Isak swallowed, squeezing Even’s hand lightly, to which Even responded by gripping onto Isak’s fingers for support. The Alpha stared at Alek questioningly, breathing slowly.

“I guess you’d better start reminding me then,” Even croaked.


	16. "You're safe now."

“Where were we?” Even asked, sitting down on one of the chairs in Chris’ room. “The place. The Facility?”

Alek swallowed, sitting across from Even with his back against the bed, Chris running his fingers through his hair. Isak held back, knowing that if Even wanted the physical contact, he’d reach out.

“It’s hidden,” Alek began, chewing on his lower lip. “We walked so far…I remember trees, so maybe a forest? It was so cold…” Alek shook his head, picking at the loose threads of his jeans. “They take in strays. People no-one would miss.” He smiled sadly at Even, shrugging his shoulders. “You used to say that you deserved to be there. That you’d done something bad and that it was your penance.”

Even jerked, his head swivelling to look at Isak. Stepping forwards, Isak wrapped his arms around the other man’s shoulders and kissed the top of his head.

“I watched someone get murdered…” Even mumbled. “I didn’t stop it.”

Alek frowned but carried on, obviously earnest to get his words out now that someone was actually listening.

“You were there when I got taken in,” Alek told them quietly. “Block B was where they experimented on Alphas. I-I don’t know what the other blocks were for apart from-” He broke off, looking at Chris apologetically and squeezing his hand. The young Omega was pale, anxiety filling his scent as he evidently remembered what had happened in _his_ block.

“So, they, uh, they pumped us full of drugs,” Alek continued shakily. “Took away food, beat us until there was nothing _human_ about us.” The Alpha gritted his teeth. “They used to bait us against each other, weed out the strongest.”

“What happened to the ones that lost?” Even asked quietly. No-one spoke, the implication hanging in the air like a storm cloud waiting to burst. Alek averted his gaze, staring at the wall behind Even’s head.

“The ones who won were induced into ruts and made to breed with Omegas.”

Isak froze, staring in horror at Alek. He felt sick at the thought of young adults – _children! –_ being thrown together whilst at their most vulnerable. And the thought of Even being made to do it…

“You never made it that far,” Alek said quickly. “They said you were too unpredictable. Not good breeding stock. But I dunno what they did with you, man; you used to come back to the cell covered in scratches and cuts. You wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t eat, you just…broke.”

Isak’s eye stung as the image of Even so hurt and scared hit him and he had to close them to ensure that no-one picked up on it. It was hardly his right to get upset, not when he himself had not been the one to go through it.

“And then you were gone and I thought you were dead-” Alek choked, his voice breaking. Before either Even or Isak could do anything, Chris slipped off the bed with incredible ease for someone so pregnant and cupped Alek’s face in his hands.

“Come back,” Chris whispered, running his fingers across Alek’s cheeks. “Come back to me.” Alek shook beneath Chris’ touch, their eyes meeting as Alek’s breathing calmed.

“They released me,” Even said numbly. “They pumped me full of suppressing drugs and gave me a probation officer.”

“Who?” Alek demanded sharply, gripping onto Chris’ hands and looking at Even suddenly. “Who is your probation officer?”

“Hans. I only know his first name-”

Alek growled in the back of his throat and it was only through Chris pushing him back into the chair that he didn’t get up.

“Hans is one of the fucking _leader_ of the Facility,” he snarled. “Him and fucking _Lars-_ ”

“Lars?!” Even exclaimed, leaning forward in his chair. “W-What?”

“Lars goes out and recruits- Fucked up version of Fagin, is what he is.” Alek snorted furiously, his eyes flashing red as he stared back into Chris’ eyes, evidently trying to ground himself. Isak stared at Even, waiting for a reaction. However, given that his entire existence until his release from the Facility had been a lie, Even seemed to be composed. He looked across the room at the small window, a small furrow between his brows the only indication that he was thinking hard.

“Is that how you met?” Isak asked quietly, looking at the two boys in front of him. Alek went to open his mouth, eyes flashing before Chris beat him to it.

“No,” he said quickly, holding Alek tightly. “I mean…They put us in together. But nothing happened.” Chris glanced at Alek, smiling softly. “The drugs they used on us were placebos, we think. When we realised I was pregnant, we knew we had to leave.”

“They take the babies,” Alek added wretchedly, looking positively green. “We don’t know what happens to them after that.”

Isak squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid himself of the image of his and Even’s child being snatched from his arms, realising that this would have been reality for many Omegas in the Facility.

“How did you escape?” Even asked, his voice gravelly and slightly hoarse.

“Chris pretended there was something wrong with the baby,” Alek replied, tracing shapes across his mate’s t-shirt covered bump. “When they rushed in, I took them down. It was pretty easy after that.” He looked at Even and Isak grimly. “They want to stop people getting _in_. Once you’re in the Facility, you’re so drugged out your mind that you can’t even _think_ about escaping.

“We were lucky.”

“Why did they keep me alive?” Even asked. “Why didn’t they just kill me when I was no use to them?”

Alek shrugged, his expression helpless.

“Maybe there were other drugs they could use on you. The suppressants, maybe? Sounds like the sort of thing Lars and Hans would use – exercise control on Alphas. Maybe you were a test run.”

Even snorted, but Isak could see the hurt in his eyes.

“I’m getting weaned off them,” Even said proudly, looking up at Isak. “Getting the shit out my system.”

“Dr Vasquez?” Alek asked, looking at Isak as well. Isak nodded, hoping that Alek was _finally_ going to co-operate with Jonas and _finally_ get his hormone levels looked at.

“Yeah, he’s great,” Isak told the boy. “Best in his field by far.” Alek nodded silently, evidently mollified by this answer. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes fixed on Even.

“I thought I wasn’t going to see you again,” Alek breathed. “Lars came to my cell and told me you weren’t coming back.”

“Sounds like Lars is full of lies,” Even growled flatly, glaring. “He’s come back. Been sending messages.”

Alek started to rise to his feet, posturing in fury.

“What? I want- Jesus, why didn’t you-”

“ _Alek!_ ” Chris hissed. “Sit _down_. You want to go back? Because that’s what’ll happen if Lars knows where we are.” Alek whipped around, and for the first time, Isak caught sight of the dark scars poking out the top of the teenager’s shirt. He had no doubt that they would match Even’s, the amalgamation of new and old marks that were physical reminders of what he had come from.

“But he’s _out_ there, Chris! He could be finding more children-”

“And what about _your_ child?” Chris interrupted abruptly, his eyes wide and round. “I don’t want Lars to get any more children as much as you do, but we got out of there for _our_ baby and _our_ future. It’s selfish, I know…” Chris’s voice cracked, his eyes starting to water, to which Alek reacted by climbing onto the bed, pulling Chris into his lap and pressing his nose to the Omega’s mating mark.

“You’re right,” Alek whispered, combing his fingers through Chris’s hair. “Okay.” Isak heard Chris let out a whine, the boy sagging into his Alpha and his shoulders quaking.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Even said suddenly, getting to his feet, scraping the chair back. Alek looked at him, his eyes red.

“You’ll come back?” he asked quickly. Even managed a half-hearted smile.

“Of course. Later. When Chris has calmed down.”

Alek nodded jerkily, pressing his face into Chris’s hair and massaging circles into his bump.

Isak and Even crossed to the door, Isak glancing over his shoulder at the teenagers in the middle of the bed. It saddened him greatly that he still lived in a world where children were used merely as breeding animals, when the practice had been outlawed over fifty years ago.

When he turned backed to face Even, the Alpha’s face was grey and ashen-looking. As Isak closed the door, he made no noise, waiting for Even to make the first sound. He felt as though there was nothing he could say that could make any impact on what Even was feeling. He needed Even to speak, to express what he was feeling so that Isak could react accordingly.

“Guess I know now,” Even said eventually, his voice shaking. “What they did. Why they did it.”

Isak opened his arms, letting out a small “ooft” when Even fell into them, knocking them both into the wall. He melted as the taller man pressed his nose into Isak’s scent gland, searching for a mating mark that was not there.

Yet.

“I’ve got you,” Isak murmured softly. “You’re safe now.”


	17. "Don't Hurt Him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is a sad one. It's got hurt Even and a distressed Isak. Sorry guys :/

In the days that followed, Even found himself moving forward with purpose. While he wanted to get the truth from Lars and Hans – an idea that seemed to put Isak on edge – he knew that he had been given a second chance. Alek was right; he _could_ have been killed for not co-operating. And yet here he was, happy and in love with a good man and free.

However, part of keeping appearances meant continuing to attend his probation sessions with Hans, despite the barely hidden hate that bubbled beneath Even’s skin whenever he saw the man.

“Six months post-prison, huh?” Hans said conversationally. “How does that feel?” Even stared at him blankly, determined not to give the other man the satisfaction of knowing _just_ how happy he was with his life.

“Alright, I guess. Anything is better than being there.”

“Being where?” Hans asked sharply, looking at him.

“You know,” Even said quickly, “prison. I like being able to walk about free.” Hans nodded, evidently mollified by Even’s answer. He jotted something down in his pad before passing Even his prescription.

“I was thinking you could start to reduce your visits to me,” Hans told him. “Your rehabilitation seems to have been a success. Keep taking your tablets and we’ll meet again in a month or so?” Even nodded in earnest, getting to his feet quickly.

“I’m still in contact with the hospital,” Hans said conversationally, getting to his feet. “They say you’re doing well. A new boyfriend, I hear?” A lump rose in Even’s throat, his entire body freezing at the thought of Hans knowing _anything_ about Isak.

“Just a bit of fun,” Even managed, forcing a smile as he reached for the door. “Enjoying the freedom I guess?” He winked for good measure. “See you in a month.” Hans nodded, holding the door open for Even as the younger man tried to walk from the room casually.

Recently, Even had found that he had a constant thrumming sensation under his skin. As though he was a fuse that was just waiting to go off. It was strange, and Jonas described it as his Alpha hormones restarting themselves.

 

“How did it go?” Isak called when Even stepped through the door. Already, the smell of freshly-cooked food assaulted his senses and his stomach growled appreciatively. He hung up his coat and made his way towards the kitchen, humming to himself.

Isak stood with his back to him, in front of the cooker. Even let himself drink in the sight of his boyfriend, leaning against the doorframe contentedly. Self-confessed Junk Food Addict Isak had finally mastered the basics of cooking – under the close supervision of Even – and seemed to be engrossed in chopping vegetables.

So Even was able to admire the way Isak’s t-shirt strained against his lean muscles, the way his hips swayed to the radio that was playing in the background, the way his ass looked in those tight jeans that he always wore on his days off, without disturbance.

“Yeah, it went well,” Even answered finally. Isak looked over his shoulder, smiling softly.

“Yeah? What did Jonas say?”

Even walked towards the other man, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind and pulling their bodies flush against each other. The slight hitch in Isak’s breath made Even’s dick twitch in interest, but to his credit, Isak continued to chop the vegetables, stopping only to stir the pan of sizzling chicken to his side.

“Mmm, he says that my system is almost flushed,” Even murmured against Isak’s neck, his nose searching for a hint of Isak’s scent. He had had flashes of it, normally when they were in bed, where the smell of Isak was strongest. He was reassured, though, that it would eventually appear and when it did, Even had every intention of burying his nose in Isak’s scent gland whenever he could.

“That’s great!” Isak turned then, dropping his knife and twining his arms around Even’s neck. “And…Hans? What happened with him?”

Even clicked his tongue, his hands rested on Isak’s hips.

“He just wrote another prescription and told me that I only needed to see him once a month.”

Isak smiled, kissing Even lightly.

“Baby steps, eh?” he said gently. “Soon he’ll be out of your life completely.”

“Thank God,” Even muttered, slipping his fingers beneath Isak’s waistband. The Omega shivered, looking at him with wide eyes. They hadn’t…gone there yet. Mostly because Isak wanted to wait until the drugs were out of Even’s system so he could make “an informed choice”. But Even knew that, when he imagined having sex with Isak, he was completely lucid. And it wasn’t to do with any of his re-emerging Alpha traits; he’d thought of pounding Isak into a mattress since day one.

Slowly, Isak drew his fingers through Even’s hair, his features soft. Even hastily cleared his throat, jerking his hands from the hot skin beneath Isak’s sweatpants and resting them on his hips instead.

“How’s your day been?” he asked, rubbing his nose against Isak’s cheek.

“Mmm, okay,” Isak answered, reaching over Even and giving whatever was on the hob a stir. “Jonas has started his tests on Alek; he thinks the kid’s been stuffed full of Alpharoid.” When Even looked at Isak quizzically, the other man smiled sadly.

“It’s a drug that sort of works like a steroid; bulks up Alphas, overloads the system with testosterone, lowers inhibition.” Isak shook his head in disbelief. “The come down he must have had…” His voice trailed away, averting his gaze.

Even’s stomach churned as he imagined Alek, scared and trying to look after a pregnant mate while going through withdrawal. He himself had been relatively lucky – apart from a few vomiting sessions and killer headaches, there had been nothing that had been completely out of the blue.

Kissing him once more on the nose, Isak moved away to rescue dinner.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Um, no, I’m fine I think,” Isak told him breezily. “But you have a letter? I don’t know how they knew you lived here; did you tell the hospital you’d changed addresses?”

But Even was already on his feet, moving into the hallway towards the small table that Isak seemed to throw everything on; letters, keys, his freaking _scarf_. However, on top of the pile was indeed a letter with Even’s name and address scrawled in untidy handwriting.

He knew before he opened it who it would be from. Who else would know he was living with Isak, at the other side of town? Even tore at the envelope with such frustration that he accidentally ripped the letter inside. Hands shaking, he pushed the two halves together, eyes scanning the words etched onto scrap paper.

YOUR FIRST JOB IS READY. MEET ME IN THE USUAL PLACE THE 25TH. 7PM. DO NOT BE LATE. I’M WATCHING.

“Fuck!” Even snarled in anger, ripping furiously at the paper until all that was left were small pieces that fluttered to the floor innocently, a contrast to the sinister words they held.

“Baby?” Isak had come into the hall, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. “What’s happened?” Even’s gaze darted to the Omega, and already he knew that his eyes were bleeding red. Suddenly, he could smell _everything_. Isak’s scent swirled towards his senses, and he breathed in greedily, taking a step towards the Omega.

“Even?” Isak said, but the words were garbled, as though Even was underwater. All that mattered was _his_ Omega, _breeding_ his Omega, _protecting_ his Omega. He let out a small growl and Isak’s eyes widened, his mouth forming a small “o”.

“Even, you need to _snap out of it_!” Isak demanded, holding his hand out. Even let out a soft whine, his thoughts scrambled. He could hear the rejection in Isak’s voice, and it made him want to curl up in a ball.

“ _Mate_ ,” Even moaned, his hands reaching out for Isak. Isak let out a whine of his own but seemed to be fishing for something in his pocket.

 _Why was his mate rejecting his advances? Was Even not_ good _enough? He could provide a safe place. Far away from Lars and Hans. He could keep his mate safe. He could make mate happy. Breed mate._

***

“You need to come _now_ , Jonas!” Isak growled, still holding a hand out to stop Even coming closer. “He’s going _feral_. I’m going to _lose him_!”

Oh God, what if Isak lost him? What if he never got to hear Even’s gravelly voice again, the sound of his belly-aching laughter, the whisper of I Love You that would never get old.

“Okay, okay, I’ve called the ward and they’re sending out a van, it’s going to be _okay_ , Isak,” Jonas insisted, the tell-tale sound of keys rattling in the background. “I’m on my way over.” Isak took in a sharp intake of breath, Even’s woodsy, raw scent barrelling into him forcefully. Jesus, what if he went into heat? That would just be the icing on the cake.

Jonas rung off, a stickler for not driving and being on the phone at the same time, leaving Isak staring down a blood-red-eyed Alpha. Even was panting now, his hand flat against the wall as his body shook.

“Isak,” he croaked, the colour of his eyes dissipating into their usual blueness. “W-What’s happening to me?” Isak’s heart broke, hands trembling as he touched Even’s shoulder lightly, knowing that the Alpha would need the body contact until the Alpha Control Unit showed up.

“You’re starting your rut, Ev,” Isak breathed. “I-I’ve had to…I’ve phoned Jonas.” Thick tears were starting to fall from Isak’s eyes as Even suddenly screamed out, bending over and curling into himself in pain. “They’re going to help you through your rut.”

“N-No, don’t send me away,” Even sobbed, gripping onto Isak’s wrist. “I-I’ve been good.” His eyes rolled back, body beginning to convulse. “I don’t want to leave.” Isak shook, holding tightly onto Even’s clammy hand.

“It’s not forever,” Isak whined, starting to match Even’s sobs. “They’ll help you and then you’ll come back. To me. God, Ev, you don’t know how much I don’t want to do this.”

Even yelped loudly, back arching as pain seemed to rocket through him. Isak had occasionally first ruts in his older child patients, the rearranging of organs and testosterone causing the body to shut down in order to regenerate.

But seeing someone he loved going through it made it so much worse.

“I-I can’t,” Even gasped, his eyes bloodshot. “I-Isak it _hurts_.” His eyes suddenly flashed red, a snarl ripping through the air before Isak could even think about moving away. It was such a surprising turn that Isak was automatically floored when Even flipped them over, the feral Alpha hovering above him.

“Mate,” Even breathed, sticking his nose into Isak’s neck. Isak choked out a sob, because he knew that Even would hate himself when this was over. Realistically he knew that the Alpha would never hurt him, that Even’s body recognised Isak as a potential mate, but the confusion on Even’s face made Isak want to weep harder at the Alpha’s loss of control.

Even’s mouth opened but before he could say anything, the loud bang of the door being broken down made him jump, the Alpha swivelling around and growling at the intruders. Isak managed to sit up, propping himself up on his shaking elbows.

Members from the Alpha control ward were standing in his doorway, one holding up a tranquiliser gun. Behind them, Isak could see the unruly curls that belonged to his best friend.

“Just make it quick,” Isak whimpered. “Don’t hurt him.”

The shot rang out.

Even fell to the floor.

Isak let out a howl.


	18. "You are officially free from your hormones."

The first thing Even was aware of was the _smell_. The clinical, artificial scent that assaulted his nose and made his head throb. The next was the scratchy sheets he lay on, too rough for his skin despite the gown he was wearing.

Wait.

Gown?

He looked around in confusion, the wall too blank and intrusive as he sat up and rubbed his head. God, he smelt awful. As though he hadn’t washed for weeks. Then, suddenly, memories hurtled towards him, smacking him in the brain without warning. Maybe not weeks, but _days_. Days that he could barely remember visually but could _feel_ what he had been going through. The heat, the release, the screaming that had left his throat raw.

Screaming for Isak.

Even jerked, stalking towards the door and banging his palm against the sterile plastic.

“Isak!” he shouted, his voice hoarse. “Isak!”

He heard a shuffle of feet and suddenly a nurse who he did not recognise came to the door.

“Mr Næsheim? How are you feeling?” she asked. Her voice seemed far away and Even struggled to grasp onto his lucidity. His head spun from the force of which he had risen, and his stomach churned with hunger.

“Where’s Isak?” Even mumbled tiredly. “I want Isak.” He didn’t care that he sounded like a petulant child; he just needed Isak to be here and in front of him.

“I’m going to get Dr. Vasquez.”

And suddenly, Even was alone again, standing in the middle of the white room, that felt far too familiar for his own comfort. As he looked around, he had flashes of memories that did not feel like his own, old visions of himself crying and screaming in a room much like the one he was in.

He sucked his breath in, his body buzzing with an energy that was very unfamiliar to him.

“Even?”

His head jerked upwards, feeling somewhat relieved when he saw Jonas’s face at the window in the door. He took a step towards the door but Jonas shook his head.

“You need to put in those nose plugs,” he said quickly, pointing at the bedside cabinet behind Even. Frowning, the Alpha did as he was told, stuffing the small pieces of plastic into his nostrils, obliviating all scents that surrounded him.

When Jonas seemed confident that Even had done what he’d been asked, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

“Rough ride, huh?” he asked, his voice void of the normal joking tone. “You’ve been out for three days.”

Even gaped at him.

“What?”

“Your rut was very intense,” Jonas told him solemnly. “One of the worst I’ve seen, actually. But I ran your bloods again when you were sedated and all of the meds seem to be out of your system.

“You are officially free from your hormones.”

Even blinked, his chest clenching as he realised he could have a _real_ life now with Isak. It would no longer be marred by the overhanging threat of, well, destruction.

“When can I see Isak?” Even asked quietly.

Jonas’s lips quirked at the corners.

“Poor guy’s been jumping at the bit to see you,” Jonas chuckled. “I don’t think he’s slept for the last week.”

Even let out a soft growl at that, surprising himself by the sudden thoughts of _Mate. Mine. Protect._

That was new.

“Why do I have to wear these?” Even asked, pointing to the nose plugs. Jonas nodded, gesturing for Even to sit down.

“Okay, so, you’ve just come out of what would normally be your presenting rut,” he explained, sitting down on the seat across from Even on the bed. “And that’s intense for everyone, some more than others. Unfortunately, due to your withdrawal, yours was…particularly bad. I suspect that it was your body’s final rejection of the suppressants you were taking.

“So all your senses? They’re going to be new and fresh and everything is going to feel a little off for a few days or so. I’m an Alpha in what you subconsciously see as your territory – my scent would probably set you off.”

Even looked panic stricken at that thought, his eyes widening. Was this what it meant to be an Alpha? To feel aggression towards everyone with a scent?

“It’ll just be for a few days,” Jonas said quickly. “The Chief of surgery has given Isak some time off so he can, uh, get you used to being an Alpha, essentially.”

Even just nodded, trying to take everything in. His life was going to be so different now. He wasn’t going to feel like a stranger in his own skin. Slowly, he got to his feet and pulled Jonas into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he mumbled. “For giving me my life back.”

“You make my best friend happy,” Jonas said, squeezing Even back. “Keep it that way.”

Even broke away, smiling glassily as he nodded his head.

“Always.”

***

Isak was restless. He was sitting in a waiting room chair, jiggling his leg impatiently. Ever since Jonas had paged him, he’d been a wreck. He had been briefed on all the changes that Even’s personality might undergo and he wasn’t sure if he could cope if the Even who went into that rut room was going to be a different one to the one coming out of it.

Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet and wandered over to the posters on the wall. Looking more of a distraction than anything else, he took in the information. The same old “Smoking Kills!” and “Check Your Balls!” posters were tacked to the wall, the picture of a man covering his groin making Isak snigger childishly. But there was a new one in the corner, one that he didn’t see given he worked in the paediatric ward.

_Are you and your partner trying for a baby?_

Isak blinked, a foreign sensation in his stomach making him jerk.

Would that be a possibility now? With Even functioning like a normal Alpha…would they be able to start a family? Isak flushed pink; they hadn’t even been together that long! They’d never even had _sex_! Jesus, he needed to check his own suppressants and ensure that his birth control was going to work now that he _actually_ would be having sex.

Shaking his head, Isak tore his eyes away from the incriminating poster, starting to step back towards the seats.

Then, he caught the scent of the most delicious smell he had ever experienced. It was a mix of oil paints, tobacco and something flowery and it was getting stronger and stronger as two sets of footsteps became closer and closer.

Isak darted out of the waiting room, standing in the middle of the corridor. At the other end, Jonas was walking with a very dishevelled-looking Even. A very dishevelled Even who, upon Isak stumbling into the hallway, jerked his head up and visibly inhaled.

That was it for Isak. He broke into a run, one that was quickly reciprocated by Even, causing them to crash into each other halfway and descend into a fierce hug. Isak breathed him in, moaning quietly as he drank in the distinctively Alpha scent, one that was heightened by Even’s own.

“I love you,” Isak whispered desperately, capturing Even’s lips with his own. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” Even growled quietly, kissing Isak enthusiastically, pulling him closer by the hips.

“I love you too,” he replied between kisses. “God, I love you so much.” Even moved his hands, cupping Isak’s pink cheeks with his palms and grinning at him.

“I’ll call you next week, Isak,” Jonas called from what felt like very far away. “I’ve got to play Cupid to some other couple!” Isak laughed weakly, his eyes stinging with pure, undiluted happiness as the rush of everything he had been anxious about came to the surface.

“Let’s go home,” he murmured, pressing his lips to Even’s once more.

Even nodded, pressing his nose into Isak’s scent gland and breathing him in. Isak combed his fingers through the Alpha’s hair, breathing raggedly.

“I missed you,” Isak breathed.

“Waking up without you was horrible,” Even mumbled. “Don’t want to do it again.”

Isak’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that he couldn’t take a lot of what Even was saying to heart, given that he was coming down from rut hormones. But God, he had felt the same – waking in the morning to a cold patch where Even should have been was gutting.

But he was back now, in Isak’s arms, just where he should be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: "You are officially free from your hormones," was something my doctor said when she cut out my birth control.


	19. "So, have you and Isak screwed yet?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: brief mention of miscarriage

Isak had butterflies. As he and Even made their way towards the door of his apartment, he briefly thought about the possibility of the change in dynamic in their relationship. Would Even start acting like a stereotypical Alpha? Harbour the aggression and arrogance that Isak’s exes had possessed?

“God, I can’t wait to get into bed,” Even groaned, sagging against the door as he waited for Isak to find his keys. “I’m so tired.”

“You’ve been asleep for hours,” Isak replied, chuckling as he opened the front door. He helped Even in, almost falling forwards when the Alpha came to an abrupt halt at the threshold. His eyes were fixed on a spot next to the living room door.

The exact same spot where Even had almost gone feral.

“Did I hurt you?” he mumbled, gripping onto Isak’s hand like a lifeline.

“What? No!” Isak exclaimed, easing the door shut without hitting Even. “God, Even, of course you didn’t hurt me!”

Even looked at him with doleful eyes, as though he didn’t quite believe what Isak was saying. Isak slipped his fingers through Even’s gently, pulling him closer. He tried not to be offended when the older man flinched, but instead, pulled him closer still, until their chests were flush.

“Even,” Isak said firmly, making eye contact. “You didn’t hurt me. You _couldn’t_ hurt me. You physically could not hurt me.”

Even blinked.

“But what-”

“You’re free from those drugs, Even,” Isak breathed, rubbing their noses together. “We can be _us_ now.” A faint smile formed on Even’s lips, fingers slipping over Isak’s hips. When Isak returned the grin, their lips met in the middle, Isak twining his arms around the Alpha’s neck.

Even pushed his nose into Isak’s scent glad, breathing deeply and seemingly relaxing into Isak’s scent. Isak carded his fingers through Even’s hair, humming a song his mother used to sing to calm him down.

***

“Do they know what happened?” Even asked anxiously, looking up at the doors of the hospital. Isak squeezed his hand reassuringly, smiling sadly.

“Hospital’s full of gossips, Ev,” he murmured, pulling him closer. “Jonas tried to keep it quiet but yeah, it got out. But if anyone gives you hassle, I’ll be on their case.” Isak winked.

“Yeah? My big scary boyfriend?” Even chuckled, kissing the top of Isak’s head.

“Oh yeah!”

Although they were laughing, it did nothing to loosen the knot that had formed in Even’s chest that morning. It was his first day back at work, a week after Isak had taken him home from the very same hospital that he was now standing in front of.

“I’ll come find you when I get a break, yeah?” Isak said, leading them through the automatic doors. “I think you’re helping Sandra behind reception again; something to ease you in.” The Omega smiled apologetically. Even suppressed the urge to groan at the thought of spending the day with Sandra, instead nodding and starting to walk towards the locker room.

“Will you be seeing Chris and Alek today?” he asked, throwing his bag into a locker.

“Alek has his last appointment with Jonas today,” Isak explained, changing into his scrubs. “And Chris has an appointment with Gyno this morning but apart from that, everything is going well.”

Even nodded, content with that answer. He hadn’t liked not seeing Alek and had hounded Isak the minute he’d come home from work every day to check on the young Alpha.

“Can I go see them?”

“I’m sure I can find a file for you to deliver to Chris’s room.” Isak winked, pressing his lips to Even’s before crossing the locker room. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Love you,” Even called.

“Love you too!”

Then Isak was gone and the knot tightened, causing Even to breathe deeply. He was scared. He was scared to be the centre of attention. Part of his role in the hospital was to be behind the scenes. Now everyone would be talking about him like he was the starring role in a fairground attraction. He was the fucked up Alpha who had lost his shit.

Sighing, Even made his way towards the front desk, wishing silently for the world to be kind to him and not make Sandra _too_ insufferable. However, to his surprise, when he saw the normally pinch-faced woman, she gave him a brief smile and nodded at the small pile of files sitting by her side.

“Just these ones today,” Sandra told him in a small voice.

“Oh,” Even said, “thanks. Anything else?”

“No, nothing for the time being.”

With that, she turned away and picked up the phone. Perhaps Isak had said something to her and warned her off any smartass comments? Whatever it was, Even was thankful for the respite of her sharp tongue and made his way into the back office, scanning the files on the shelves.

“A, B, C…”

Hours later, Even found himself sitting in the canteen, stirring the burnt coffee in his Styrofoam cup. It had been a long morning of doing nothing and when Sandra had suggested that he go for his break, he had practically run from the desk. He had messaged Isak a while ago but judging on the sudden influx of sirens he had heard in the past half hour, his boyfriend was obviously caught up in something.

And with Sandra not needing/wanting his company, Even found himself twiddling his thumbs idly and wishing that he had something to do, rather than focus on all the new senses he had been experiencing of late.

“Hey.”

Even jumped, looking up and coming face-to-face with Eva, the nurse that Isak was good friends with.

“Um…hi?”

Eva flashed him a grin and sat down beside him, offering him a fry.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, biting into her burger.

“Better,” Even replied, watching her eat. “I felt like I’d been hit by a truck this time last week.”

Eva nodded sympathetically, taking a sip of her drink as she lowered her food.

“Yeah, delayed ruts are bitches,” she said conversationally. “There was a guy who was, like, thirty last year who came in.” Eva shook her head in disbelief. “He made a hell of a mess of the ward.”

Even squirmed in discomfort, wondering if the other nurses discussed his rut like this. Talking about how much mess he had made or how bad it had been? He couldn’t remember anything past reading the letter Lars had sent until he had woken up in hospital. And Isak wouldn’t tell him what had happened in between.

“So have you and Isak screwed yet?”

Even jerked, spilling the lukewarm coffee over the table in surprise. Grabbing napkins from the holder in the middle of the table, he threw them over the puddle, his heart stuttering at the bluntness of her question. Eva let out a laugh and shook her head.

“You’re blushing,” she remarked, leaning back. “That’s cute. I’ll take that as a no.”

“Are you always this forward?” Even grumbled, tossing his empty cup into a nearby trashcan.

“Yeah,” Eva trilled as she took another bite of the burger. “It’s why Isak and I get on so well.”

Even rolled his eyes. He knew that he should get to know Isak’s friends if he was to play a permanent part in the Omega’s life, but it was too much too soon to have this conversation with anyone. Because it wasn’t as though Even hadn’t thought about it; why hadn’t he and Isak had sex yet? The first couple of nights, he had thought that Isak wanted to give him space to recover.

Day seven and Even was seriously blue-balling. All of these Alpha hormones were sending serious messages to his dick and there was only so much a cold shower could do. And yet, Isak never seemed to want to initiate anything. Apart from a quick peck before bed and some over the clothes fondling, there had been nothing going on in the bedroom department.

“You know, Isak is a bit of a martyr,” Eva said conversationally. “He’s probably waiting for you to make the first move. Trying not to rush you. He doesn’t want to be like Andres-” Eva’s eyes widened in horror, as though it was suddenly dawning on her that she had said something she shouldn’t have.

“Who’s Andres?” Even asked, his eyebrows pulling together in a frown.

Eva raked a hand through her hair.

“Oh God, he’s going to kill me,” she muttered under her breath. Exhaling slowly, she looked him in the eye. “His ex. While we were at Med school. He was a prick.”

Even could feel his head pounding and his blood rushing. He _knew_ someone like Isak must have had boyfriends in the past. But the thought of Isak loving someone else, being as _close_ to someone else like he was with Even…

“Oh,” he managed to say, “right.”

“Look, Even, Isak would hate me for speaking about him,” Eva said, biting down on her lip. “He fucked with Isak’s head and it took him a really long time to bounce back from it. You make him happier than I’ve seen him in years.”

There was a small swell of happiness in Even’s chest at Eva’s words, a rumble of Alpha pride that _he_ was the one providing for his mate. But at the same time, he couldn’t shake the knowledge that this Andres had hurt Isak.

“I love him,” Even told her sincerely.

“I know,” Eva replied, a small smile on her face.

***

“Do you have kids?” Chris asked, lifting his shirt up to reveal a very pregnant belly. Isak snorted, running the wand over the exposed skin. As much as this wasn’t his job – _thanks, Marjorie, for calling in sick_ – he was happy to do Chris’s scan. He had become close to the young Omega, and felt personally responsible for his wellbeing.

“No,” Isak replied, pushing gently. “One day, maybe.”

“With Even?” Chris asked quickly, his face earnest. It was moments like these that Isak remembered just how young the boy was; his face was void of lines and after some TLC, the dark circles that had been prominent features on his face were gone. He looked like any other fifteen-year-old boy.

Isak let out an awkward laugh.

“Maybe,” he mumbled before turning the screen. Chris’s entire face seemed to light up at the picture of his baby and for a second, Isak felt like he was intruding on a special moment between Omega and Child.

“I still can’t believe she’s real,” Chris murmured. “That I get to keep her.”

Isak breathed deeply. He had tried not to press Chris for details on what he had been subjected to in the Facility. Sure, he knew the basics and what Alek had told him. But the teenager hadn’t really opened up about his time there. The OBGYN had told him there was evidence that Chris had already been through childbirth, and that there was evidence that there had been previous miscarriages. But because Chris had said nothing, Isak wasn’t sure if the poor kid could even _remember_ anything that had happened before Alek.

“She’s all yours,” Isak agreed, printing out a sonogram. “She’s definitely getting ready to move down. I’m guessing that you’ll give birth in a week or so.”

“Are you going to be there?” Chris asked, looking up at Isak with wide eyes.

“I-I-” Isak had no idea what to say to that. He was sure that he had already broken numerous policies and rules within the hospital in his battle to help Chris and Alek. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to be in the delivery room. Especially if it was going to help his patient afterall.

“Yeah, kiddo, I’ll be there.”

Chris smiled, looking back down to his sonogram in awe, tracing the outline of the baby’s head.

“I wish Alek was here,” he murmured, starting to wipe off the gel from his stomach. “He gets so excited about her.”

“Yeah?” Isak smiled softly, helping Chris down.

“In the beginning, he didn’t talk about her, you know? He was scared we would lose her, or someone would take her away.” Chris reached for the door handle, rubbing his bump. “He talks about her future now. He wants her to be a doctor.” He chuckled, looking up at Isak.

“It’s really not all it’s cracked up to be,” Isak croaked. Damn, if the kid said anymore, he was going to burst into tears. Damn his hormones; they had been out of whack since Even had come home from the hospital.

“I dunno, you do a pretty good job,” Chris laughed, easing himself back onto his bed. “How long do you think Alek will be with Jonas?”

“Hard to say. Jonas likes to take his time,” Isak said dryly. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon though.”

Chris smiled, reaching over to pin the picture of the baby to the small noticeboard beside his bed, just one of a large collection of sonogram pictures that Chris had been adamant about having. Isak smiled faintly, subconsciously placing a hand over his own, very empty, stomach.

Maybe one day.


	20. "I'll be so good for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Lord, I need church. This is basically just smut. Finally. 
> 
> *Trigger warning: discussion of death of a child as a result of a house fire in the first couple of paragraphs*
> 
> I'm just gonna leave this here and go pray for my soul.
> 
> (But...sexy times, yes?)

It had been a bitch of a day.

Isak had been in surgery for a grand total of seven hours, operating on a three-year-old girl who had been in a house fire.

The result had not been favourable.

Which was why Even found Isak curled up in a toilet cubicle, sobbing into his scrub cap, trying to be as quiet as possible but at the same time, making the wall of the cubicle rattle with the force of his shoulders quaking.

“Baby?” Even fell to his knees, pushing Isak’s hair back in alarm, trying to see his face. The Omega pushed his face away, his face pink and his eyes red. He looked _wretched_ ; Even had never seen Isak lose it like this. He was always calm, always collected, always very aware that he could not play God with his patients. But now his boyfriend was falling apart, pulled at the seams and crumpled.

“I-I tried so hard, Ev,” Isak whined, body shaking. “I-I couldn’t save her.”

“Shh,” Even breathed, manoeuvring them both so that they could hug without banging into the toilet. “You tried your best, baby. Everyone knows that.” He ran his fingers through Isak’s hair, pressing his lips to the distressed Omega’s forehead.

“But it wasn’t _enough_ ,” Isak whimpered. “She was so small, Even, she didn’t…she didn’t _deserve_ to die.” Isak choked out another sob, pressing his face into Even’s scent gland, pushing up as close as he could get. Even tried to stay tuned into Isak’s words; despite his getting used to the way his body reacted to the Omega, there were some things – some very _intimate_ things – that he was still acclimatising too. The open access to his scent gland was one of them.

Even pushed Isak back, so that his hands were braced against the younger man’s shoulders. His eyebrows knitted together in a frown as he took in the blotchy skin of his lover’s face, the wetness beneath his eyes and the bruising of his lip, because despite Even trying to stop him, Isak was bad for chewing on his lower lip when he was stressed.

“You are fucking _good_ doctor, Isak Valtersen,” he said firmly, letting a growl slip into his voice. “Your patients are lucky to have someone as caring and passionate as you fighting their corner. Yes, you lost a patient, and that must be one of the worst feelings in the world, but you did your _best_ and your best is _always_ good enough.” Isak sniffled in a pathetic way that made Even’s heart break, as he nodded brokenly.

“C’mon,” Even whispered, shaking him gently, “let’s go home. Your shift’s over, right?”

“Yeah,” Isak sniffled, getting to his feet gingerly and rubbing his face. “Sorry for losing it. I just…it hits hard sometimes…”

“ _Never_ apologise for crying, Isak,” Even told him gruffly, standing up as well. “It’s a perfectly healthy thing to do.” And for Even, it felt strange to give Isak advice or admonish him for his negative thoughts. It was normally him, Even, who needed the pep talks. And as much as Even was sad that Isak felt that way, it felt good that he could play an equal part in their relationship.

Isak unlocked the door, moving over to the sink and snorting at the reflection in the mirror.

“How attractive,” he muttered, wiping at his eyes with toilet tissue. Even let out a small growl, circling his arms around Isak’s waist from behind and pressing his lips against the back of his head.

“Always.”

Isak met Even’s gaze in the mirror, the Omega’s eyes flashing gold. Even’s breath caught slightly before he started to count backwards. Now was _not_ an appropriate time to fall back on his Alpha hormones. And now was _definitely_ not an appropriate time for Isak to _inadvertently_ press backwards against Even’s groin, causing the Alpha to let out a small groan.

“Isak,” Even croaked, his fingers digging into the Omega’s hips. Isak laughed breathlessly, turning his head and pressing his lips to Even’s scent gland. The Alpha could feel the thrum of adrenaline pounding through his veins, his head starting to fog as all rational thoughts started to ebb from his mind.

“I don’t want our first time to be in this bathroom,” Isak whispered, his breath tickling the underside of Even’s chin. “I want to go home.”

Even could see his eyes flash red in the mirror, and he pulled away from Isak just long enough to press their lips together, his teeth nipping at the Omega’s already tender lip. Isak let out a small whine, pressing his body close and grinding his hips against Even’s. Then his nose picked up on the sweetest scent, like the zest of lemon had been mixed with something minty. It sent the inside of his head spinning, his bloody burning as he tried to find the source.

It was only when Isak made a small whimpering noise, and the doctor pulled away to touch the back of his scrubs, did Even put two and two together.

Isak was leaking slick.

“Jesus,” Even moaned. “Jesus, Isak, I don’t think I can-”

“House,” Isak panted desperately. “Fuck, Even, this isn’t supposed to happen. I’m not meant to-” The Omega broke off with a mewl, doubling over as he pressed his hands to his stomach.

“What?!” Even exclaimed in alarm. “What’s happening?”

Isak looked up at him, his eyes completely golden now, his lips cherry red.

“I’m in heat.”

***

Isak felt like he was burning from the inside out. There was a heat in the pit of his belly, and the seat of his scrubs were soaked through with slick. _How_ had he been so stupid? To not recognise the symptoms of his oncoming heat? Apparently, it had only taken the unconditional love of an Alpha to send him right over the edge.

Even was freaking out and all Isak could think about was the fastest way the Alpha could ram his knot inside him and fill him full of cum. God, even the _thought_ of it made Isak wail in need, loud enough that he was sure his colleagues would have heard him down the hall.

“I-Isak, what do I need to do?”

Isak was plastered to his side now, sweat dripping from his brow as he tried to think of coherent sentences.

“I-I need your knot,” the Omega managed to bite out. “B-But we need to go home. Just…” Isak tilted his head back, purposely showing Even his very bare throat. “You need to go to Sandra and you need to ask her for the emergency Heat-Blockers she has behind the desk.” He let out a wanton groan. “They’ll work long enough to get home.”

Even nodded, his mouth open slightly.

“What happens if someone comes in?” he demanded, voice strained.

“Just _go_ ,” Isak practically _wailed_. With difficulty, he pulled himself away from Even, pressing his back against the wall. His cheeks were burning, slick rolling down his thighs. He didn’t want to think about what he looked like right now.

Giving one last look at Isak, Even growled before tearing out of the rest room, leaving Isak in the empty room. He whined at the loss of his Alpha, fingers itching to touch himself. He needed to be _filled_ – why was Even _taking_ so long?

Panting, Isak moved across the room, gripping onto the taps. He wasn’t sure how he did it, but suddenly he was pressing his face into the cold water, trying to bring the raging heat in his body down. It didn’t do much, but it dulled it enough for his brain to clear.

He had visions of his medical career going down the toilet; who would want to employ an Omega that couldn’t cope with his heats? _Especially_ one that was supposed to be old enough to know better.

Isak cried out suddenly, doubling over as his body’s dormant hormones began to pump themselves around his bloodstream. His pussy throbbed with need, his fingers _itched_ to fill it. Prepare himself for his Alpha, he was a _good_ Omega afterall-

The door slammed open, Even’s tall form standing in the doorway. His eyes were void of the blue they normally sported, blazing red in full Alpha glory. The man flashed his teeth as he let out a rumbling growl, moving quickly towards Isak, seemingly with every intention of fucking him there and then.

“Dr Valtersen! You need to take these!”

Suddenly, sausage-like fingers were practically forcing two white pills down his throat. Isak let out a whimper, trying to fight back against the intrusion. Before he could do anything, someone was forcing water into his mouth, telling him to swallow the tablets.

Isak did just that, nearly choking in the process. Almost immediately though, his vision started to come back to him. And although he was trembling against Even, who was doing his best to keep him upright, the needy ache dulled significantly, enough that Isak was able to take in what was happening in front of him.

 _Sandra_ of all people, was standing in front of them both, her face stricken and a bottle of water in her hand.

“I’ve called a cab,” she said quickly. “It’ll pick you up at the back entrance. So no-one sees you like this.”

“Th-Thank you,” Isak groaned, standing up properly, cradling his stomach. Even kept close, scenting the Omega as though his life dependent on it. Sandra merely nodded, holding the door open for them both.

“I’ve shut the corridor,” she informed them, glancing up and down the hall. “You should be able to get out of here before anyone says anything.” Even gripped onto Isak’s trembling form and steered him out of the restroom with the determination of a man possessed.

“Thank you, Sandra,” Even groused to the receptionist. Sandra gave him a small smile, knowing better than to pat the shoulder of an Alpha affected by his Omega’s heat.

“Just look after him, okay?”

Isak was vaguely aware of Even nodding but was more focused on getting out of the building as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Even had the same idea, and was suddenly hauling Isak down the hallway towards the loading bay.

“You okay?” Even asked gruffly, almost as though he was trying to hold his breath. Isak nodded wordlessly, merely pressing his nose into the collar of Even’s uniform. The Alpha burst through the door, looking around wildly for the awaiting taxi. Upon spotting it, he scooped Isak up as though he weighed nothing and carried him towards the car, depositing him into the backseat.

Before Isak could start crying about the loss of contact, Even was there again, pulling the desperate Omega into his arms and holding him tightly. He briskly told the driver the address, flashing him red eyes to make sure he knew _just_ how important it was that he hurried the fuck up.

Isak was only semi-aware of the trip back to the apartment, but it seemed to go on for hours. He was on Even’s lap, which was probably for the best; the amount of slick he was producing was making up for all the heats he had missed through his birth control.

 _Birth control_.

Even threw money at the taxi driver.

Even picked Isak up and carried him into the building, almost snarling at a couple who were standing to use the elevator.

Even fought with the front door, barging into the safe confines of their home, where Isak’s scent was suffocating for them both.

“Nowwwww,” Isak whined. “I’ll be so good for you. I want your knot.”

When his head was clear later, and Even reminded him of the words that he had uttered in his desperation to be fucked, Isak would blush, ashamed that he had been reduced to such hysterical begging.

But right now, it all made sense.

He wanted Even to breed him, fuck him full of baby, get him big and round.

“Bedroom,” Even growled, staggering towards the room they shared. Isak thrashed, the heat starting to build once more. He was swollen in his scrubs, small cock straining against the front of his briefs. He barely noticed when Even dropped him on the bed, instead just tugging down his sodden scrubs and underwear in one swift movement.

Even snarled appreciatively, dropping his head to drink in Isak’s heady scent. Isak bucked his hips upwards, needing something – _anything –_ inside him.

He needed _Even_ inside him.

***

Even stared at Isak’s fat, swollen cunt. He wanted to smell it, lick it, stick his dick in there and fuck the Omega until he was stuffed full of cum. He watched his Omega writhe helplessly on the bed, his instincts at the forefront of his mind. His dick strained in his uniform, hard and waiting to be deep in his Omega. But he wanted Isak to _enjoy_ this fucking.

He lowered his head, breathing deeply. Tentatively, he pressed his tongue to a rivulet of slick that had been making its way down the meat of Isak’s thigh. He groaned appreciatively as the sweet tang filled his taste buds.

Even needed more of that shit.

Kissing up the insides of Isak’s thighs, Even soon found himself at the apex of the doctor’s sex. Isak’s pussy throbbed, red hot and just waiting to be filled.

“Alpha,” Isak whimpered. “Please.”

“Shh,” Even rumbled, “gonna make you feel so good.”

Isak moaned appreciatively, throwing his head back and crying out when Even ran his tongue along Isak’s slit in one, fluid movement. The Omega arched his back, practically sobbing already, pressing his pussy into Even’s mouth.

Even probed his tongue against Isak’s slick fold, teasing the Omega’s clit with the graze of his teeth. Isak arched off the bed once more, his fingers tight in Even’s hair as he attempted to fuck himself on Even’s tongue. The Alpha would never be able to forget his Omega’s taste, the sound of the Omega practically crying in need, the feel of the silky skin of Isak’s thighs as he tried to keep the Omega flat on the bed.

“Please, Even,” Isak cried out. “I need to be fucked.”

With one last kiss to his Omega’s folds, Even raised himself above Isak, looking down at the hot and sweaty man below him. Isak looked _wrecked_. His legs were spread wide, the sheets soaked beneath him. Even leaned forwards, tugging Isak’s scrub shirt over the top of his head. Isak arched once more, his entire body trembling under the gaze of the Alpha.

Isak torso was red with heat, so unlike the pale skin that Even caught glimpses of when they got dressed. His fucking _nipples_ were enlarged and cherry red, waiting to be slipped between Even’s lips, nipped with awaiting teeth.

God, his Omega was so _perfect_. He was hairless, his hips slightly widened, beauty that was almost always covered by unflattering scrubs and smart work clothes. Even growled appreciatively, running his hands down Isak’s sweat-soaked sides before lowering his head, never breaking gaze with his gorgeous Omega as he took one of those glorious buds in his mouth.

The reaction was instantaneous. Isak let out a loud howl, tears leaking from his eyes as short bursts of clear cum spouted from his little cock. Even grinned, teasing the nipple with his tongue, nipping it with his teeth lightly before soothing it with the flat of his tongue. His Omega was a trembling mess beneath him but once against, his fingers carded in Even’s hair, holding him in place as he panted desperately.

Even pressed his fingers lightly against where Isak’s sternum was, dragging the tips lazily down the Omega’s stomach, teeth still enveloping the tight nubs. He crept downwards, teasing the sensitive crease between Isak’s thighs. It was hot to touch and so swollen that Even briefly wondered how Isak hadn’t combusted. He pushed one finger in, almost losing himself as the wet heat engulfed his digit. Isak panted, squeezing his pussy around Even’s finger.

“I want your knot, Alpha,” he panted breathlessly. “Give me your knot.”

“Patience,” Even murmured, capturing Isak’s lips with his own. It was messy, a clash of teeth and tongue in a fight for dominance but Even relished the way Isak’s hot lips pressed against his, the way the heat of his Omega’s body soaked through Even’s clothes.

Quickly, Even removed his finger from Isak’s core and slipped it between the Omega’s lips, breaking their kiss to watch as Isak sucked his slick from Even’s fingertip.

It was when Isak began to _massage_ Even’s finger that the Alpha finally lost control. Pushing his uniform down his legs, he saw Isak groan greedily as the Omega finally got to see what was waiting for him.

Even’s cock was arched against his stomach, the head purpled with need and the newly formed knot just visible under his skin. Isak ground his hips against Even’s thigh, rutting quickly to make some friction.

“Present,” Even whispered in Isak’s ear. Scrambling, the Omega complied, swiftly rolling onto his stomach and raising his pert ass in the air. Positioning himself, Even could see Isak’s entrance winking at him, a drip of slick waiting to entice him. Massaging the supple skin of his Omega’s backside, Even tried to collect himself, tilting his head back.

“Do you want this, Isak?” he managed to say, his voice strained, praying that he was going to get the answer he wanted to hear.

“I trust you,” Isak breathed, struggling to look over his shoulder at his Alpha.

Even grinned breathlessly, easing himself into Isak’s heat, the loud moan the Omega let out doing things to Even’s groin that he didn’t even know was possible. He rocked his hips once, gripping onto the soft flesh of Isak’s waist.

“You feel so good, baby,” Even croaked, his voice almost gone.

“Fuck me,” Isak all but wailed. Even began to move, rolling his hips, drawing out the soft grunts that he loved to hear from Isak. There was a pressure building in the pit of his stomach, his breath coming in short huffs. Isak’s sex pulled him in, swallowing his length like it was made to do so.

An unfamiliar sensation started to build in Even’s member, a pressure that he had never felt before. His dick began to catch on Isak’s inner lips, causing the Omega to let out soft whimpers. Suddenly, Even’s knot formed for the first time, swelling inside Isak and tying them together. Even groaned loudly as floods of cum escaped from his member, filling Isak to the brim.

Isak cried out Even’s name, his voice breaking as his walls suddenly constricted around Even, milking the cum from the Alpha’s throbbing shaft. Even fell forwards, bracing himself above Isak’s shaking body and running his tongue along the back of his neck, where his mating mark would be one day. For a while, all that could be heard was the panting from both boys, neither able to put into words what had just happened.

Then, finally, Isak spoke.

“I love you.”

Even let out a small, nervous laugh, moving them over until he was spooning the younger man, his knot still snugly inside his boy.

“I- Was that- Was it okay?”

Isak looked over his shoulder, his cheeks still pink, curls sticking to his forehead.

“You’re perfect. _It_ was perfect.” He reached over to kiss Even’s nose, scent nowhere near the intoxicating drug it had been minutes before. For the moment, at least, Isak’s heat seemed to be sated.

“I have so many questions,” Even murmured. “About…this…”

Isak nodded, his expression sympathetic.

“Think it could wait until we’ve slept? Round two is probably on the horizon.”

Round two?

Even could probably manage that.


	21. "He takes after his Papa"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's not too long but I really wanted it to stop there so I can take up the next chapter. Also...who doesn't love a cliffhanger?! ;) Another airport, another chapter!

_The smell of honeysuckle filled Isak’s nose as he stared at the red front door in front of him. The brass door knob looked as though it was well used, as though there had been a significant amount of traffic through the quaint little door. He looked up at the small cottage, smiling faintly at the crawling plants that creeped along the front of it, a feeling of contentment settling in the bottom of his stomach._

_“Why’re you waiting out here?” a familiar voice said, arms slipping around his waist from behind and pulling his hips flush with the owner’s. Isak grinned, tilting his head backwards and looking up to big blue eyes, that were sparkling with pure adoration._

_“I’m waiting for you,” Isak murmured, pressing his lips to Even’s. The Alpha grinned, manoeuvring Isak inside._

_“I’m here,” Even said, kissing the top of Isak’s head and moving away to shut the door. “Go sit down; I’ll make some tea.”_

_“Thank you,” Isak murmured, settling into the red squashy armchair and drawing his feet up underneath him with slight difficulty. Despite this, he rubbed the swell of his stomach fondly, receiving a small kick in response._

_“Is he kicking?” Even asked excitedly, entering the lounge with a mug of tea. He set it down on the small table beside the chair, placing his hands where their little boy was making himself known. Isak nodded, taking the tea from the table gratefully. Tea had entered their lives about a month ago, when Isak had woken one night with a craving so strong that Even had had to find a 24 hour supermarket and buy several different kinds to satisfy his pregnant mate._

_“He’s strong,” Isak remarked._

_“Takes after his Papa,” Even murmured gently._

_“No, Isak,” Isak breathed, holding him close. “He takes after his daddy.”_

Isak awoke to big blue eyes staring back at him.

Even shifted, cupping the side of Isak’s face with long fingers and smiling faintly. It had been four days since his heat had hit and, finally, the ache in the pit of Isak’s belly was sated and his mind was capable of forming coherent thoughts.

“Mmm, we’re going to have to burn the mattress,” he mumbled sleepily, pressing his nose into Even’s collar bone. Even let out a small chuckle, pulling the Omega closer to him, his body warm and hard against Isak’s.

“And every other surface in the apartment,” Even pointed out. All of a sudden, Isak had flashbacks to being bent over just about every piece of furniture he owned, being fucked hard and fast against the walls and plastering his shower wall with copious amounts of cum.

He groaned, pushing closer to Even, draping his leg over the Alpha’s hip and clinging to him like a koala.

“I haven’t had a heat like that in _years_ ,” Isak whined. “Not since I presented.”

“Should I feel flattered that you spent it with me then?”

Isak lifted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowing.

“I wouldn’t want to spend it with anyone else.”

Even pressed a kiss to Isak’s nose, attempting – and failing – to ease the smaller man from his body.

“Mine,” Isak grumbled, holding tighter. Even was just so _warm_ and _cosy_. Why did he want to leave their nest so soon after his _heat_?

“Baby, I need to pee.” Even let out a soft laugh, scraping his fingers through the Omega’s hair and earning a contented hum in return. “And you need to eat.” Isak pouted but grudgingly relinquished his hold on Even and rolled onto his back. It was then that he realised that he _desperately_ needed a shower; remnants of cum and sweat clung to his body, a thin crust layered across his stomach.

“I’m gross,” Isak announced, looking up at a chuckling Even. “I need a shower.” The Alpha looked down at him, making a sad face.

“You smell like me,” Even said, frowning. “Do you _have_ to wash?”

Isak rolled his eyes, pulling himself from the bed.

“You’re such an _Alpha_ ,” he teased, shoving Even’s shoulder lightly. “I am _not_ spending the rest of the day with spunk on my stomach; I want to feel _clean_.” Winking, Isak moved past Even and towards the bathroom innocently, turning the shower on.

Steam quickly filled the room and as Isak prepared to move into the shower, Even appeared in the doorway. The wolf whistle reverberated around the room and, despite the fact that Isak Valtersen had received his fair share of whistles, the Omega’s cheeks flushed pink and he promptly stepped into the generously sized shower, reaching for his shower gel.

“I’m gonna make you some food,” Even said over the sound of the water hitting the tiles. “What do you want?”

Isak thought about the measly offerings in his cupboards.

“My card is in my wallet on the table,” Isak called. “There’s a coffee shop down the street; I don’t think I have any food.”

Isak heard the disapproving tut over the roar of the water but when he looked over, he saw that Even had disappeared, presumably to get food. The young man tilted his head back, smiling to himself as he replayed the last few days in his mind. It had been out of this world; intimate and frantic and animalistic and everything Isak believed a heat should be.

When he had finally pulled himself from the heat of the shower, the ache in his body someone subsided, Isak found himself pulling on a pair of Even’s sweats, grinning despite himself as he dragged in the scent of the other man.

Isak Valtersen was well and truly love drunk on Even Bech Næsheim.

***

Even’s eyebrows were pulled together in confusion, trying to work out what sort of food he should get Isak. His newly found instincts were urging him to fatten Isak up, get him ripe and fertile, but his mind – something that he had lost since Isak had started his heat – was telling him that it was unreasonable to get three packs of pastries, two packs of bacon, cereal, sausages, eggs to feed his very slender Omega.

Still, he thought as he dumped his basket at the till, it would get eaten eventually.

Paying and thanking the girl behind the counter, Even made his way out into the cool street, a skip in his step. He couldn’t wait to slip back into bed with Isak, perhaps have another round of sex after Isak had eaten.

He didn’t even see the blow coming.


End file.
